‘The President Wants To Frighten Governors Who May Not Support Him In 2027’ – Amaechi

The former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has alleged that the recent declaration of emergency rule in Rivers State by President Bola Tinubu is a strategic move to intimidate governors into supporting his re-election bid.

In an interview with DW Africa on Friday, Amaechi expressed his strong disapproval of the decision, describing it as politically motivated.

On March 18, President Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers, citing the ongoing political crisis and the vandalism of oil facilities as key reasons.

The declaration led to the suspension of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and all members of the state’s House of Assembly for a period of six months. Tinubu also appointed Ibok-Ete Ibas as the sole administrator of the state.

The president’s actions have been met with strong opposition, with critics, including members of the civil society and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), calling the move unconstitutional.

Naija News reports that Amaechi, who is also a former governor of Rivers State, claimed that the declaration of emergency was an attempt to scare governors into supporting the president’s re-election campaign in 2027.

He alleged that the move had instilled fear in governors, suggesting that those who did not align with the president would face similar treatment.

“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,” the former Rivers governor said.

“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,” Amaechi stated.

The former transportation minister further emphasized that Governor Fubara had no control over security matters in Rivers State, which, according to him, rested solely with the federal government.

He criticized the decision to suspend the governor, stating that Fubara was being punished for an offense he did not commit.

“Rivers governor has no security responsibility; it rests squarely on the president. So why punish a man who did not commit an offence?” he questioned.

In his closing remarks, Amaechi called on the residents of Rivers State to resist the actions of President Tinubu. He urged them to engage in democratic protests to express their opposition.