The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has once again urged President Bola Tinubu to reinstate Siminalayi Fubara as the Governor of Rivers State without further delay, emphasizing that his removal was unconstitutional.
Last Tuesday, President Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State and suspended Governor Fubara, his deputy, and all members of the State House of Assembly, appointing retired naval chief Ibok-Ete Ibas as the sole administrator.
Many Nigerians have criticized this move as unconstitutional.
NBA President Afam Osigwe, speaking on Sunday Politics on Channels Television, insisted that the Nigerian Constitution does not recognize a sole administrator and that Fubara should be restored to power.
He questioned the legitimacy of Ibas’ appointment, arguing that the oath he took was not grounded in the constitution.
Osigwe compared the federal government’s approach to treating a headache with a sledgehammer, stating that the measures taken are excessive, undemocratic, and unconstitutional.
He maintained that the Rivers crisis is political and requires a political resolution, not military-style intervention.
He further argued that the National Assembly’s approval of Tinubu’s actions does not make them lawful, likening it to placing something on nothing.
As the controversy deepens, legal and political observers continue to debate the legitimacy of the federal government’s actions in Rivers State.
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