Rivers State of Emergency: Presidency Defends Tinubu’s Decision As Legal, Justified

The presidency has defended President Bola Tinubu’s decision to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State, stating that the move was both legal and necessary to restore stability.

According to the president’s special adviser on media and public communications, Sunday Dare, the declaration resulted in the suspension—not removal—of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and the state lawmakers.

Dare emphasized that Tinubu acted within his constitutional powers to prevent the escalating crisis from threatening democracy and national security.

In a statement on Friday, Dare described the intervention as a constitutional step taken in the national interest, emphasizing that the deteriorating political crisis in Rivers posed a serious threat to democracy and stability.

He explained that the escalating crisis in Rivers left the president with no alternative but to step in, as conflicting factions had failed to reach a peaceful resolution.

“In the case of Rivers state, turmoil and crisis had taken over. The rival stakeholders could not see their way toward resolution. Something had to be done before all became undone,” Dare said.

“In this case, President Tinubu stepped up as was his moral and legal obligation to do. In this case, the Constitution, the blueprint of our democracy, spells out the options before the President in dire and emergency circumstances.”

Dare further stated that the worsening situation in Rivers had posed a significant threat to both democracy and national stability, necessitating decisive action from the president.

He stressed that Tinubu’s decision was well within his constitutional authority and should be viewed as a temporary measure to restore order rather than a political maneuver.

“The operative word here is suspension, not removal,” Dare clarified regarding the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

“There is a six-month window for the return to normalcy. It is in this light that we must understand that the most appropriate, timely, and constitutional option available to Mr. President was the declaration of a state of emergency,” he added.

Dare also dismissed claims that the move was politically motivated, emphasizing that it was purely a constitutional response to prevent the state from descending into anarchy.