- President Tinubu sent shockwaves across the nation with his suspension of Governor Fubara and his elected aides.
- Kenneth Okonkwo took to his page to dissect his perceived cracks in Tinubu’s presidential address, outlined why the removal of Fubara and his cabinet defies legality and due process
Kenneth Okonkwo, Nollywood actor and former Labour Party spokesperson, has condemned the six-month suspension of Governor Sim Fubara, his deputy, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, called it a blatant violation of the law and the constitution.
President Tinubu had earlier declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, citing prolonged political turmoil, governance paralysis, and rising insecurity as justification for his actions.
Taking to his Instagram page, Okonkwo schooled the president on the true essence of a state of emergency, emphasized that it is meant to restore order, not to unseat a sitting governor and dismantle an elected government.
Drawing from history, he pointed to how former President Goodluck Jonathan navigated similar crises without stripping governors of their mandates, hinted that Tinubu’s approach was not only extreme but also politically motivated.
Okonkwo described the move as a calculated power grab, an attempt to wrest control of Rivers State from the opposition and install loyalists.
He argued that if Tinubu was genuinely interested in justice, the punishment should have extended to members of his own cabinet who are equally guilty, rather than selectively targeting political opponents.
His words;
“STATE OF EMERGENCY IN RIVERS STATE BY TINUBU
“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.
“State of emergency, when declared, simply means the suspension of some fundamental rights of citizens to enable the government to restore order in a state of anarchy. It does not involve the removal of elected representatives of the people.
“President Jonathan declared a state of emergency in Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa in order to tackle the Bokoharam terrorists and did not remove Gov Shettima and others from office.
“Security of Nigeria is the exclusive reserve of the Federal Government, which controls all the security forces. The Governor has no police to command.
“Blaming the Governor for the security failures of the Federal Government in Rivers is misplaced. This measure is a power grab by the President to take away Rivers State from the opposition party and from the people of Rivers State and hand it over to his stooges in his cabinet.
“If Tinubu meant to punish every party to the crisis, why did he not extend the punishment to some members of his cabinet that are parties to the crisis.
“It is in this regard that I urge the National Assembly to reject this illegal removal of the elected representatives of Rivers State and declare it undemocratic.
“There’s nothing extra ordinary with what is happening in Rivers State. There is a gang up of state looters against a Governor who refused to give them the key to the purse of Rivers State.
“They have been trying to remove him without success because of the support of Rivers people for their governor, necessitating the President trying to remove him through the back door.
“It’s unfortunate that a sitting President will assist in unravelling our democracy. All democratic forces must rise up against this undemocratic act.”
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