“Seems Fubara Has Been Removed, Not Suspended,” Activist Says

Jake Epelle, founder of the Albinism Foundation, has openly questioned the motives behind President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, saying it appears more like a removal than a suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

Speaking on Arise TV, Epelle said the appointment of retired naval chief Ibok-Ete Ibas as sole administrator and his recent actions, including appointing administrators for the 23 local government areas, suggest a complete sidelining of democratic structures. “What they are doing doesn’t look to me like suspension but removal,” he said. “They should be bold enough to admit that they don’t want democratic systems and values to continue in Rivers State.”

President Tinubu declared a six-month state of emergency on 18 March, suspending Governor Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu, and the entire state assembly. The move followed a pipeline attack and continued political unrest rooted in the rift between Governor Fubara and Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike.

Epelle argued that the president gave Ibas the mandate to regulate—not to appoint officials—accusing the sole administrator of overstepping his authority and violating the constitution. “The so-called sole administrator is illegal,” he said. “His appointment is illegal. The instruction was to make regulations, not appointments. Are they planning to extend this so-called emergency rule?”

Criticism has poured in from other notable voices, including former Rivers Governor Ada George and human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong. George, now chair of the Rivers Elders and Leaders Forum, accused Wike of masterminding the state of emergency after Fubara refused to do his bidding. Effiong echoed constitutional concerns, stating that the president lacks the authority to remove elected officials from office.

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has also condemned the move, branding it unconstitutional. In protest, it relocated its Annual General Conference from Port Harcourt to Enugu, saying it could not be seen to support what it called “military-style governance.”

Responding to the mounting backlash, Wike dismissed George’s remarks, likening them to children “crying over lost toys.” He attributed the emergency rule to what he described as Fubara’s “lawlessness” and claimed the NBA was acting out of frustration over lost privileges.

The crisis in Rivers dates back to late 2023, when the Fubara-Wike feud intensified, resulting in violent clashes and deaths. Despite a failed peace deal brokered by the president, Governor Fubara appeared to regain control after local elections put his allies in power. However, a Supreme Court ruling later nullified the elections and reinstated Wike’s loyalists in the state assembly. The court also ordered Fubara to re-present the state budget to the lawmakers, but he failed to do so within the deadline.

This prompted President Tinubu’s emergency declaration and the installation of Mr. Ibas as the state’s sole administrator—a move that now faces growing legal and public scrutiny.