A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has said that the state of emergency declared on Rivers State by President Bola Tinubu on March 18, 2025, was all about plundering the common patrimony of the people of the State.
Tinubu had upon the declaration of emergency rule in the state, suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Professor Ngozi Odu, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly and appointed a former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd), as the sole administrator of the state for initial six months.
Fubara, Odu and members of the House of Assembly, are expected to resume office on September 18, 2025, which marks the expiration of the six-month state of emergency.
Speaking with journalists in Port Harcourt on Monday, Eze said the state of emergency was declared on the state to allegedly allow Lagos State to continue to firm-up the grip on the huge oil revenue.
Eze said: “Imagine a situation where the multinationals that harness the oil in the Niger Delta are headquartered in Lagos. All the benefits from the oil exploration via tax, employment, etc., go to Lagos while the Niger Deltans suffer the exploitation.
“So, in order to firm-up the grip of Lagos on the huge oil revenue, there has to be perpetual destabilisation of the Niger Delta region, particularly, Rivers State. This is so because they do not want Rivers State economy to compete with Lagos.
“While he served as governor, Amaechi gave Lagos a serious chase, and Rivers was almost at par with Lagos in all spheres. Governor Fubara’s commitment to revive investment in infrastructure and build an enabling environment for businesses threatened Tinubu and Lagos.
“That is why the President didn’t think twice; didn’t look at the laws of the country; didn’t consider the dangers, the criticisms that may come with the unlawful suspension of the governor. Fubara’s performance was a threat.”
