Former Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has strongly criticized President Bola Tinubu’s decision to remove Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, without following due process.

Obi described the removal of Fubara, his deputy, and members of the State House of Assembly as unconstitutional and reckless. In a statement on his X handle, he warned that such actions pose a serious threat to Nigeria’s democracy, undermine the rule of law, and set a dangerous precedent for governance. He argued that this decision has thrown the country into disorder, undoing 26 years of democratic progress.

Obi accused the President of showing a “dangerous willingness to disregard democracy” by bypassing constitutional procedures and imposing a state of emergency in Rivers State without justification.

He stated:

“Declaring a state of emergency in Rivers State is not just reckless, it is a deliberate attempt to tighten the government’s grip on power and drag the country back into lawlessness.”

“This move is nothing short of enforcing martial law through the backdoor, which has serious consequences for our democracy.”

“The decision misinterprets Section 305(1) of the 1999 Constitution, which outlines when a state of emergency can be declared. Nowhere does it give the President the power to unilaterally remove an elected governor. This action is a direct violation of democratic principles and good governance.”

Obi stressed that the move does not serve the people’s interests but appears to be a pre-planned political maneuver to benefit certain groups rather than the general welfare of Rivers State and Nigeria.

He urged the National Assembly and all relevant stakeholders to reject the decision, stating:

“I call on the National Assembly and all democratic institutions to resist this move because allowing it to stand will only deepen the culture of impunity threatening our democracy.”

Obi further warned that if this action is allowed to stand, it will encourage further lawlessness and political manipulation. He expressed concern that Nigeria is already struggling with electoral fraud, disregard for due process, and large-scale rigging.

He concluded by urging the National Assembly and democratic institutions to take action, warning that failure to do so would only strengthen impunity and worsen political instability in the country.

Nyesom Wike’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, has revealed why the PDP’s Secretariat was revoked. According to Olayinka, the PDP hasn’t paid ground rent for 20 years, so Wike is unable to remove the party’s Secretariat from the list of landowners who defaulted. Wike had authorized the revocation of 4,794 land titles in the FCT.

Because the ground rent had not been paid for more than 40 years, the Minister revoked the land titles.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the PDP, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) are among the properties that are impacted.

Others include CONOIL Plc, Borno State Government, Nigerian Television Authority, NTA, Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, National university commission, NUC, M.R.S Investment Company Limited and Kaduna State Government.

Also affected include Nigerian Port Authority, NPA, News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, Federal Ministry of Environment, Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company, University of Calabar, Nigerian Postal Service and Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, among others. Posting on Facebook, Olayinka wrote: “For 20 years, PDP did not pay Ground Rent. They want Wike to remove PDP from among the 4,794 defaulters. “A total of 4,794 land titles were revoked over failure to pay ground rent for 10 to 43 years.

“If PDP and any other organizations are among, so be it. Wike no dey look face.”

 

Bode George, a leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has called Abdul-Azeez Adediran, the party’s nominee for the Lagos gubernatorial election in 2023, a born liar.

In an interview with Jimi Disu on Nigerian Info FM on Tuesday, George made this claim.

Before the 2023 elections, Adediran, also known as Jandor, switched from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the PDP and accepted the party’s governorship ticket.

Four days after meeting with President Bola Tinubu in Abuja, he declared his comeback to the APC on Monday.

Speaking on the previous PDP candidate for governor, George claimed that Jandor had taught the party a valuable lesson by agreeing to choose Gbadebo Rhodes-Viviour as his running mate but then breaking that promise.

“He lies from birth.” It was an older, well-respected leader who introduced us to him. According to the party chieftain, it was unique since Gbadebo (Rhodes-Vivour) was leading the charge (on the PDP governorship ticket).

However, because we value the elderly in our society, we had to decide what to do when the honorable man presented Jandor.

“Gbadebo was present, but when I inquired about his age, he stated that he was 39, but Jandor stated that he was 45. The elder politician responded, “We can figure something out.”

Despite the state of emergency, Fubara has reaffirmed his commitment to constitutional order, promising Rivers residents security and governance.

As he works with the appropriate institutions to maintain the strength of the country’s democracy, Governor Siminalayi Fubara of embattled Rivers State has urged the people of Rivers to continue living in peace and abiding by the law.
Joe Johnson, the Commissioner for Information and Communication, expressed regret for the regrettable event in the state’s political history in a statement that spanned 12 paragraphs.

“My constitutional oath of office and a strong sense of duty have driven every action and decision I’ve made since taking office as your governor. We put the safety of people and property first and made sure that our beloved state kept moving forward”.

“We have steadfastly upheld constitutional order and the rule of law, prioritizing the needs of our people over everything else, notwithstanding the political deadlock. For this reason, we acted quickly to fulfill the provisions that had been agreed upon in good faith, including the reinstatement of commissioners who had resigned on their own initiative, following Mr. President’s involvement to mediate a settlement.
In order to restore the state to normalcy, we also acted quickly to comply with the Supreme Court’s ruling and as soon as we obtained a certified true copy of it. These actions were done to promote peace, unity, and stability in our beloved State, not for personal benefit.

“Members of the Rivers State House of Assembly frustrated our efforts at every turn, making genuine peace and progress difficult,” he explained. Our top priority continued to be protecting persons and property as well as promoting the prosperity and well-being of the Rivers people.
“Despite our political differences, good governance has persisted, salaries have been paid, and significant projects are being carried out to advance the state,” Fubara said. Above all, Rivers State is tranquil, safe, and secure while we are in charge.

“I implore all Rivers residents to maintain their composure and adherence to the law during this crucial period. In order to maintain the health of Rivers State and the strength of our democracy, we shall work with all pertinent institutions. We will handle this circumstance with discernment, endurance, and unflinching faith in the democratic process because we have always been a resilient people.
Additionally, the statement has been disputed by Senator Seriake Dickson, a former governor of Bayelsa State.
In a statement, the senator declared that he would never back a proclamation that would overthrow an elected governor. He added that the Ijaw nation seemed to be the target.

Dickson stated: “Like other Nigerians, I was surprised by the president’s address this evening regarding the political conflicts in Rivers State. I oppose declaring a state of emergency, particularly if it implies that the governor and his deputy will be out of office for six months. Even under the PDP president, I maintained my stance on issues like this: I don’t think that’s what the constitution intended. This is not the first time I have opposed emergency declarations in states that required their governors to resign.

“I have always believed that the elected government must be protected and does not have to be overthrown even when a state declares a state of emergency.”
The former governor claimed that he fought and protected his people throughout his adult life, even when leaders supported false information and propaganda out of jealousy and evil.
“I brought in a successor when I was retiring as governor because I recognized the anti-democratic and anti-Ijaw forces in our region and the nation, having fought and overcome them and understanding their capabilities, plans, and determination. He kept his desire to become governor a secret from me.

“Being a member of the Ijaw movement, I brought him in to lead and defend our people with our support.” During my eight-year term, I toiled and left my imprint in every area of our state while managing a recession for six of those years. After paying half salaries during a recession, we were able to raise and support endless numbers of men, women, and young people on less than N500 million per month.

“With the help of our friends and allies, we were still able to prevent the state from being overrun by the cruel federal forces in 2015, the general election in 2019, and the gubernatorial election in 2020, in which I supported every candidate.” Is this the state of the Ijaw nation that we all put so much effort into creating? For all Democrats, today is a depressing day. For Rivers State and its people, today is a depressing day. Please put on your thinking caps, everyone. We shall overcome this together, therefore I encourage our people to be positive.