Renowned Nigerian musician, Dr. Alban Unoma Nwapa, has criticized President Bola Tinubu’s decision to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State, arguing that the President should have addressed the role of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, instead.
The political crisis in Rivers State escalated to the point where Tinubu declared a state of emergency, suspending Governor Sim Fubara and his deputy for six months, along with all members of the State House of Assembly. The turmoil stems from an ongoing power struggle between Wike and Fubara, which led to the emergence of a parallel House of Assembly faction.
Although the Supreme Court ordered the reinstatement of the 27 lawmakers led by Martins Amaewhule and directed Fubara to re-present the 2025 budget, the crisis deepened when the governor was prevented from accessing the Assembly complex.
Reacting to the development in Abuja, Nwapa condemned Tinubu’s actions, stating that the President lacked the constitutional authority to suspend an elected governor.
“Fubara was democratically elected by the people, while Wike, a mere minister, has no electoral value in his own state with millions of eligible voters,” Nwapa said. “Yet, Wike has not faced any consequences, while Fubara and his deputy have been removed from office. It is completely unfair.”
He argued that Tinubu should have taken a different approach.
“The sensible thing to do was to call Wike to order because he is the root of this entire crisis. Declaring a state of emergency has completely dismantled the democratic structure in Rivers. Suspending both the governor and his deputy, without constitutional authority, is absurd. And shutting down the House of Assembly for six months? That’s outrageous.”
Nwapa also questioned the financial burden of the decision.
“Do people realize how much this will cost taxpayers? A new administrator will be appointed, with his own staff and security detail. Nearly 10,000 soldiers have been deployed to Rivers on special duties, and they will all be paid heavily. Is this necessary when the crisis could have been managed differently?”
He warned that Tinubu’s actions set a dangerous precedent for Nigerian democracy.
“This means any governor can now wake up one morning and be removed just because the President decides he doesn’t like him. Is this the country we want to live in? And as for the National Assembly, their voice voting method to determine two-thirds majority is laughable. How do you determine such a crucial vote by shouting ‘aye’ and ‘nay’? It’s daylight robbery!”
Nwapa lamented that the move has not only damaged the democratic system in Rivers State but could also have long-term consequences for governance in Nigeria.
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