Politics

Amaechi Accuses Tinubu of Using Emergency Rule to Intimidate Governors Ahead of 2027 Elections

Published

4 days ago

Mar 30, 2025.

Amaechi condemned President Bola Tinubu’s decision to declare emergency rule in Rivers State
On March 18, President Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State
Amaechi called on the residents of Rivers State to resist the actions of President Tinubu

Former Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, has once again criticized President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of emergency rule in Rivers State.

The move, which President Tinubu cited as necessary due to ongoing political crises and vandalism of oil facilities, has been met with opposition from various groups, including members of civil society and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), who argue that the decision is unconstitutional.

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On March 18, President Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, leading to the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and all members of the state’s House of Assembly for six months.

Ibok-Ete Ibas was subsequently appointed as the sole administrator of the state.

The backlash against President Tinubu’s decision raises concerns over constitutional authority and the implications for democracy in Nigeria .

During an interview with DW Africa on Friday, Amaechi condemned President Bola Tinubu’s decision to declare emergency rule in Rivers State, describing it as politically motivated.

Amaechi Accuses Tinubu of Using Emergency Rule to Intimidate Governors Ahead of 2027 Elections

Amaechi alleged that the move has instilled fear in governors who do not align with the president, suggesting they may face similar consequences.

The former Rivers governor said: “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.

“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?

“The president acted outside the Constitution. Section 188 states how a governor can leave office, either by death, resignation, or impeachment. It didn’t say that one day you wake up and a man called the president of Nigeria will throw you out of office, which makes democracy unstable.”

Amaechi called on the residents of Rivers State to resist the actions of President Tinubu, urging them to engage in democratic protests to express their opposition.

On the feud between Wike and Fubara, he said, “’The fight between the current governor of Rivers State and the FCT minister is about sharing money. If not, what is the quarrel? Nigerians don’t dislike corruption anymore. I’ve not seen anybody on the street querying what the problem is. Can both of them speak to the public and tell us what the problem is?