Recently, an atmosphere of uncertainty has swept through Rivers State. The declaration of a state of emergency has had profound impacts, not only on political figures but also on the everyday lives of the citizens. The Rivers state governor, Siminalayi Fubara, along with his deputy, Ngozi Nma Odu, and the members of the State House of Assembly, have been suspended. Such suspensions are slated to endure for six months, as justified by the nation’s president amidst a backdrop of unrelenting political crises, including catastrophic events like the explosion of an oil pipeline.
President Bola Tinubu’s Address on Governor Sim Fubara’s Rivers State Crisis
“I am deeply troubled by the ongoing political turmoil in Rivers,” President Bola Tinubu remarked with notable concern. “The state appears paralyzed, and its people are being denied the fundamental right to effective governance.” These words resonate with the acute frustration felt by many who are witnessing a stalemate in leadership.
It’s been fourteen months since Governor Fubara made the controversial decision to demolish the House of Assembly. Even with numerous interventions by esteemed Nigerians, the structure remains unbuilt—a lingering testament to unresolved tensions. In sharing this predicament, have efforts ever felt so futile?
No president worth his salt could idly observe while governance deteriorates. The implementation of a state of emergency, deemed necessary, aligns with a vigorous attempt to rectify a failing system and restore peace. “By this declaration, Governor Fubara is hereby suspended,” President Tinubu declared unequivocally, as detailed in the Vanguard Newspaper.
State of Emergency in Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe by President Goodluck Jonathan
The proclamation of a state of emergency isn’t novel in Nigeria’s political chronology. Back on May 13, 2013, then-President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan exercised this extraordinary measure in the north-eastern states of Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe. The decision was a reaction to escalating insecurity issues spurred by terror activities. Recall that familiar tension palpable in the air, forcing the hand of a nation?
As the Nigerian army was deployed, questions about the appropriateness and implications of such measures loomed large. “Nigeria found itself in disequilibrium,” observed a report by The Cable, emphasizing the necessity of decisive action. However, in contrast to the recent events in Rivers, the officials of these states remained largely unaffected in their roles.
State of Emergency in Ekiti by President Olusegun Obasanjo
October 2006 marked another significant chapter in Nigeria’s political history when then-President Olusegun Obasanjo declared a state of emergency in Ekiti State. This move led to the suspension of Governor Ayodele Fayose and the State House of Assembly. The political unrest was rooted in the contentious impeachment of Governor Fayose, which had thrown the state into chaos. Can true governance measured by stability sometimes require such drastic intervention?
State of Emergency in Plateau by President Olusegun Obasanjo
Just two years before the Ekiti proclamation, President Obasanjo had already declared a state of emergency in Plateau State in response to ethnic conflicts. From May 18, 2004, Governor Joshua Dariye, alongside the state House of Assembly, was suspended for six months. In an era marked by bloody conflicts that claimed more than 2,000 lives, these dramatic steps were aimed at restoring peace and stability.
Devastation had permeated the state, and Major General Chris Alli (retd.) was appointed to re-establish order, according to The Whistler. Amidst humanitarian crises, can well-intended political maneuvers ever truly mitigate the human cost?
