In a fiery defense of his administration’s actions in Rivers State, the Presidency has stressed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu did not remove Governor Siminalayi Fubara or his deputy, Ngozi Odu, but only suspended them. Special Assistant Olusegun Dada made the declaration on Wednesday, countering former Anambra Governor Peter Obi’s claims that the state of emergency in Rivers signaled the collapse of democracy under Tinubu.
Dada sharply criticized Obi, accusing him of confusing impeachment with suspension. He explained that Tinubu, exercising his constitutional power under section 305, declared a state of emergency to address the crisis that began when Fubara, on October 29, 2023, unilaterally established an illegal four-man state assembly and demolished the parliament building—actions that disrupted the democratic process.
“Governor Fubara remains the duly elected governor. Suspension was the only measure necessary to restore normalcy,” Dada asserted. He argued that without a functioning parliament, unchecked executive power resembles dictatorship, and suspension is the proper remedy—not removal.
Dada dismissed Obi’s criticism as hypocritical, emphasizing that Tinubu’s decisive action was aimed solely at preserving democratic governance in Rivers State. He concluded, “Only a dull mind would claim that Tinubu collapsed democracy when in fact he acted within his constitutional authority to safeguard it.”
This bold clarification underscores Tinubu’s commitment to upholding constitutional processes while reaffirming that Governor Fubara’s official position remains intact despite his suspension.
