…those who disagree with President should approach NASS – Fagbemi
The federal government has defended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, stating that the decision was necessary to prevent a total collapse of governance in the oil-rich state.
Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, made this known while addressing journalists at the State House in Abuja on Wednesday.
He emphasised that the president had exhausted all diplomatic efforts before taking the extraordinary step.
“I think the President has acted timeously. He has given opportunity to all the parties involved to make amends. Before then, he had assembled them, he had tried to mediate,” Fagbemi said.
President Tinubu, in a national broadcast on Tuesday, had suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for an initial period of six months.
Citing prolonged political instability, constitutional breaches, and security threats, he invoked Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution to declare a state of emergency.
The crisis in Rivers State, stemming from a power struggle between Governor Fubara and his predecessor, now-Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike, had reportedly paralyzed governance.
Tinubu appointed retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Étè Ibas, a former Chief of Naval Staff, as the state’s sole administrator to restore stability.
“In the meantime, I hereby nominate Vice Admiral Ibok-Étè Ibas (retd.) as Administrator to take charge of the affairs of the state in the interest of the good people of Rivers State,” Tinubu announced.
The declaration has sparked debate, with critics questioning the necessity of such a measure.
However, Fagbemi dismissed allegations that Wike was favoured in the decision, stating, “was Wike the one that asked the State Assembly to be demolished? I don’t see the hand of the Minister of the FCT in what happened.”
He further urged those aggrieved by the President’s decision to seek redress through the National Assembly.
“If the National Assembly feels what the President did was not okay, he will not have two-thirds from the National Assembly. We are expecting that within 48 hours something will come out,” he stated.
