Political activists, stakeholders, and residents of Rivers State have voiced strong disappointment over President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s failure to address the ongoing suspension of democratic governance in the state during his Democracy Day speech on June 12, 2025 — a day marking 26 years of uninterrupted civilian rule in Nigeria.
Many had anticipated that the president would seize the symbolic occasion to reinstate Governor Siminalayi Fubara and restore constitutional order in Rivers State. However, to the dismay of many, Tinubu made no mention of the situation in his address to a joint session of the National Assembly.
Recall that President Tinubu, on March 18, 2025, invoked Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State, citing escalating political tensions and threats to public safety. He suspended Governor Fubara, his deputy, and state lawmakers, and appointed Retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas as Sole Administrator.
Critics, however, argue that the suspension was politically motivated, aimed at handing control of the state’s political structure to Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike — a key ally of the president — in preparation for Tinubu’s 2027 re-election campaign.
Senator Henry Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa West and former Bayelsa governor said Tinubu missed a historic opportunity to reinforce democratic values, describing the president’s silence on Rivers as “deafening.”
“You cannot claim to be a democrat on one hand, while trampling democracy underfoot on the other,” Dickson said. “Today was about the people’s democratic rights. The president missed a golden opportunity.”
Similarly, Port Harcourt-based lawyer and APC chieftain, Chizy Enyi, accused the president of undermining democracy in Rivers to secure electoral advantage in 2027. He claimed the emergency rule has handed power to Wike’s loyalists and violated Supreme Court judgments by allowing Sole Administrators to govern local councils.
“Now that we are under military rule, how can we also conduct elections? It’s clear Tinubu is returning Wike’s structure to win the state in 2027,” Enyi stated.
Former APC spokesperson, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, alleged that Tinubu’s broader goal is to weaken ex-Transport Minister Rotimi Amaechi’s political base and deny development to Rivers State. “It’s not about insecurity — it’s a calculated plan to stifle Rivers politically and economically,” he said.
Local residents also lamented the consequences of the emergency rule. Projects initiated by Governor Fubara have reportedly stalled, while access to democratic benefits has diminished.
Dike Emmanuel, a Port Harcourt resident, noted, “All the road projects have been abandoned. I don’t know where the money from the Federation Account is going.”
Another resident, Finipri Obomanu, added, “There was peace in Rivers before the emergency. It was never necessary.”
The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide had earlier appealed to the president to use Democracy Day to lift the state of emergency, describing it as a test of Tinubu’s democratic credentials. However, their call went unanswered.
With pressure mounting, many Nigerians are questioning the president’s democratic commitment and warning that the suppression of constitutional rule in Rivers may leave a lasting stain on his legacy.