Fubara and Rivers house of assembly will resume work very soon —Bayo Onanuga, presidential spokesman
The Presidency has dismissed claims that the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and other political actors in Rivers State is a power grab, insisting that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu acted decisively to prevent the state from descending into anarchy.
In a statement released on Sunday, March 23, 2025, Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, outlined the urgent need for intervention, stressing that waiting for the total collapse of governance before acting would have been reckless and irresponsible.
Despite Supreme Court rulings affirming constitutional governance, the feuding factions refused to back down. According to the Presidency, intelligence reports confirmed that militants in the creeks were primed to sabotage critical oil infrastructure, posing a direct threat to Nigeria’s economic security.
“Imagine a Rivers State where President Tinubu hesitated. The political standoff could have spiraled into violence, with attacks on lawmakers and the state’s vital oil infrastructure at risk. Schools and hospitals would shut down, investors would flee, and the human and economic toll would be catastrophic,” the statement read.
By March 18, the situation had deteriorated beyond political resolution, making Presidential intervention unavoidable.
Critics argue that the suspension of Governor Fubara and other political actors is an assault on democracy, but the Presidency insists that the move was a temporary reset, not a takeover.
“This is no power grab,” the statement emphasized. “The intervention is temporary, surgical, and aimed at restoring—not replacing—democratic institutions. The six-month suspension is designed to disarm warring factions and stabilize governance.”
It also pointed out the hypocrisy of some critics who remained silent on Fubara’s refusal to cooperate with the legislature, yet condemned the President’s move.
The Nigerian Constitution (Section 305) empowers the President to act when the nation faces a breakdown of law, order, and economic security—precisely the case in Rivers.
