Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, describing it as a clear act of political manipulation and bad faith.
The New Daily Prime reported that Tinubu, in a nationwide address, announced the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and state lawmakers for six months.
He then appointed former Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Ibokette Ibas, as the state’s administrator.
Reacting via his X page, Atiku noted that anyone closely following the crisis can see Tinubu’s deep partisan involvement in Rivers’ political unrest.
He accused the president of either deliberately allowing the situation to escalate or failing outright in his duty to prevent it, calling such negligence disgraceful.
READ ALSO: Tinubu declares state of emergency in Rivers, suspends Fubara, Lawmakers for 6 Months
“Beyond the political scheming in Rivers, the brazen security breaches that led to the condemnable destruction of national infrastructure in the state land squarely on the President’s desk. Tinubu cannot evade responsibility for the chaos his administration has either enabled or failed to prevent.
“It is an unforgivable failure that under Tinubu’s watch, the Niger Delta has been thrown back into an era of violent unrest and instability — undoing the hard-won peace secured by the late President Umaru Yar’Adua. Years of progress have been recklessly erased in pursuit of selfish political calculations”, Atiku said.
He stated that federal infrastructure in Rivers State has deteriorated, holding Tinubu fully accountable for the situation.
According to him, using the people of Rivers State as collateral damage in the political power struggle between the governor and Tinubu’s allies in the federal government is a blatant assault on democracy—one that must be unequivocally condemned.
