Tinubu Would Have Resisted Suspension as Governor, Fubara Must Fight – Former Presidential Aide

Former presidential spokesman Laolu Akande has criticized Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara for not immediately challenging his suspension by President Bola Tinubu. Akande argued that Fubara should have taken the matter to the Supreme Court himself instead of waiting for governors from his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to do so.

Drawing a parallel to Tinubu’s tenure as Lagos State governor from 1999 to 2007, Akande noted that Tinubu would have fiercely resisted any attempt by a president to remove him from office. He recalled how Tinubu, while in opposition, fought the Obasanjo administration’s seizure of Lagos’ local government funds, emphasizing that Fubara should show similar courage.

Akande described the suspension as “questionable” and illegal, insisting that an elected president has no constitutional authority to remove an elected governor in such a manner. “If somebody did this to Bola Ahmed Tinubu when he was governor of Lagos, do you know what he would be doing? He would be the first to go to court,” Akande said. “Fubara is still the governor, he still has a status. He hasn’t been removed.”

The crisis in Rivers State has been brewing for two years, with Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, locked in a political battle for control of the state. Wike, now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory under Tinubu’s administration, has been at odds with his former ally.

On March 18, 2025, President Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, citing constitutional provisions that allow such action when governance is in jeopardy. He suspended Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and the state’s lawmakers for six months, appointing retired naval chief Vice Admiral Ibok-ete Ibas as the state’s sole administrator.

Two days later, the National Assembly approved the emergency rule, but the decision has sparked widespread condemnation. Opposition leaders, legal experts, and civil society groups—including Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Rotimi Amaechi, Nasir El-Rufai, Femi Falana, and the Nigerian Bar Association—have rejected the move, calling it unconstitutional and a threat to democracy.

Despite mounting criticism, the presidency has defended its decision, arguing that it was necessary to prevent further instability in the oil-rich state. However, Akande insists that Fubara must take decisive action, not only for himself but for the future of Nigeria’s democracy.