When President Bola Tinubu proclaimed a state of emergency in Rivers State earlier this year, activist and attorney Chetam Nwala accused him of pursuing a political goal rather than stability.
In an appearance with Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Tuesday, Nwala made the accusation.
He claimed that rather than addressing the political problem in the oil-rich state, the proclamation of emergency rule was a premeditated political move meant to secure the President’s goal for reelection in 2027.
The attorney maintained that the President’s move had nothing to do with reestablishing peace and order in Rivers State, characterizing it as a tactic to seize political power before the upcoming general election.
You recall that the declaration of emergency was solely political, as I have always said and will continue to say. It had nothing to do with stabilizing the state, according to Nwala.
“It was a president trying to make sure that ambition for 2027 is being protected within the body of Rivers State,” he continued.
Lawmakers and Fubara were suspended by Tinubu
Remember how President Tinubu suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly in March 2025 due to the state’s protracted political crisis?
Critics questioned the action’s constitutional foundation and political ramifications, sparking broad protests across the nation.
Nwala further asserted that Governor Fubara was forced to identify himself with the ruling All Progressives Congress due to the emergency rule’s political weakness.
Naturally, we have witnessed the governor’s ordeal. He said that the governor had been duped.
Before defecting to the APC to collaborate with the President, he continued, Fubara returned to politics “like a wounded and a defeated lion.”
“He has now defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, to work with the president after returning back,” he said.
The activist claimed that the President insisted that political allegiance took precedence despite the economic effects of the emergency rule on Rivers State.
“A state of emergency was the reason for all of this. The President’s aim for 2027 was the reason for all of this, according to Nwala.
Therefore, he didn’t give a damn if the Rivers economy was collapsing. His goal was to get the governor to support his party, and they were successful in doing so.
