Kenneth Okonkwo Hits Back At Tinubu: ‘State OF Emergency In Rivers Is Political Manipulation

In a nationwide broadcast on March 18, 2025, President Bola Tinubu announced the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu for six months, alongside the declaration of a state of emergency.

Reacting through a statement on his X account, Okonkwo pointed out that when former President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa states to address Boko Haram insurgency, he did not remove the governors from office. Okonkwo argued that it was wrong for Tinubu to blame Fubara for security failures in Rivers, suggesting that if Tinubu intended to punish all parties involved, members of his own cabinet, who are also part of the crisis, should have been held accountable.

Okonkwo further stated that the move is a power grab by Tinubu to remove Rivers State from the opposition party and its people, replacing them with his allies. He criticized the decision as an undemocratic act and urged the National Assembly to reject the removal of elected representatives in the state.

In his statement, he said, “The removal of the elected Governor and House of Assembly members of Rivers State for six months in Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State is illegal and unconstitutional.”

He also emphasized that a state of emergency should only suspend certain fundamental rights of citizens, not remove elected officials. Okonkwo accused Tinubu of seeking to control Rivers State after the Governor resisted political pressure and refused to yield control of state resources. He urged all democratic forces to oppose the move, describing it as a threat to Nigeria’s democracy.