The Ijaw National Congress (INC) has described as hasty and lopsided President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State.

President of the apex Ijaw socio-cultural organisation, Prof Benjamin Okaba, in a chat with Vanguard on Tuesday night in Yenagoa, said: “It is a clear state of dictatorship in civilian clothing.”

He noted that the crisis would have been averted if Mr. President had reined in his minister, Nyesom Wike, who according to him is desperate to capture state power and resources with a view to turning Rivers State into his personal estate.

His words, “The few comments we need to make now about the declaration of emergency in Rivers State is one; it is too hasty, secondly, it is lopsided and thirdly we don’t think that it complies with the constitutional provisions.

“We say it is hasty because the president has so much opportunity to leverage on the calls made by Nigerians from all quarters to call his minister to order. Then secondly, the Wike himself has been the major antagonist as he has boldly stated clearly that he will make governance impossible for Fubara in as much as he does not dance to his tune.

“And in a recent statement that was credited to him, he said the two conditions he must meet are; allow him control of all the LGAs in Rivers State and that he (Fubara) should sign an agreement he would not contest in 2027.

“So, it is obvious that the man is desperate in capturing state power, state resources and wants to turn Rivers State into a personal estate and property. And the people of Rivers State are the ones to suffer and the governor who has entered into a covenant with the people of Rivers State to deliver sustainable development cannot mortgage that mandate because you want to satisfy somebody.

“These are obvious facts flying all over the place and I thought Mr. President should look at all of these. If the stories about him having some tacit support for Wike or providing an enabling environment to advance this cause may be in the interest of all of them up there.

“I say it is lopsided again because why would you leave Wike and sack Fubara? The best thing to do is to take off everybody that has played a major role and these are Wike in as much as the state governor and deputy governor and assembly are going, Wike should also go. In fact, Wike and all federal appointees from Rivers State should be sacked.

”If you don’t sack them, they will use the position they have now to perpetrate more crises and play a more advantageous role to themselves and all these cries that they want to take over Rivers State are just being played out and it is not good for democracy.”




https://www.vanguardngr.com/2025/03/dictatorship-in-civilian-clothing-inc-condemns-emergency-rule-in-rivers/