Leadnaija
Rotimi Amaechi, former minister of transportation, has alleged that President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of emergency rule in Rivers state is a ploy to intimidate governors to support his re-election bid.
Amaechi spoke in an interview with DW Africa on Friday.
On March 18, Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers, citing the protracted political crisis and vandalisation of oil facilities.
The president suspended Siminalayi Fubara, the Rivers governor; Ngozi Odu, his deputy; and all house of assembly members for six months.
Tinubu also appointed Ibok-Ete Ibas as the sole administrator of the state.
The president’s decision has been described as unconstitutional by the opposition, members of civil society and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).
In his criticism of the emergency rule, Amaechi claimed the president’s move has sown fear in governors “that if you are not careful, the president will remove you”.
He added that Fubara has “no security responsibility” over the Rivers crisis and that the suspended governor is being punished for an offence he “did not commit”.
“It is between the president and the FCT minister. The president wants a power grab. They want to frighten governors who may not support them in 2027. So, there is a rumour everywhere that if you are not careful, the president will remove you,” the former Rivers governor said.
“If the president said it is because of insecurity, because they blew the pipeline, what about part of the country where there is insecurity? Is the president saying they should impose emergency rule on him too? They can’t because he is a democratically elected president. Nobody can impose an emergency rule on him because there is serious insecurity in the north-east, north-west — even in south-east and south-west.
“Rivers governor has no security responsibility; it rests squarely on the president. So why punish a man who did not commit an offence?”
Amaechi called on Rivers residents to “resist the president”.
He said the resistance should be done “by democratically protesting against the president”.
