Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has strongly criticized President Bola Tinubu’s decision to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State, accusing him of political bias and failure in leadership.
Tinubu announced the emergency measure in a nationwide broadcast on March 18, 2025, citing months of political turmoil and governance deadlock in the state. The declaration led to the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and the Rivers State House of Assembly.
Atiku, however, took to social media to condemn the move, arguing that Tinubu had been an active participant in escalating the crisis rather than resolving it. He pointed to the destruction of the Rivers State House of Assembly building—demolished 14 months ago and yet to be rebuilt—as evidence of the administration’s neglect.
The former vice president also blamed Tinubu for the resurgence of violence in the Niger Delta, stating that years of peace secured under former President Umaru Yar’Adua had been undone due to the president’s political interests.
“Anyone following this crisis knows that Bola Tinubu has been a partisan actor in Rivers’ political turmoil,” Atiku wrote. “His refusal or failure to stop this escalation is disgraceful.”
He further accused Tinubu of using the state of emergency as a political tool rather than a genuine effort to restore order, adding that the people of Rivers State should not be punished for political interests.
