Tinubu’s Rivers State Emergency: A Political Ambush Disguised as Governance

 Tinubu’s Rivers State Emergency: A Political Ambush Disguised as Governance On March 18, 2025, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared a state...

 Tinubu’s Rivers State Emergency: A Political Ambush Disguised as Governance

On March 18, 2025, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, suspending the governor, deputy governor, and state legislators while appointing a retired military officer as the administrator. The reason? A political crisis. The same political crisis that Nigeria has seen in various states over the years without such drastic measures.  

But let’s not be deceived this is not about democracy, constitutional order, or concern for Rivers people. This is a well-scripted plot, a dangerous game of political conquest that could set Rivers State ablaze. Tinubu’s real intention is clear: to tighten his grip on the South-South, appease his political ally Nyesom Wike, and perhaps, if Rivers people resist, repeat the genocide Obasanjo supervised in Bayelsa in 1999. 

  

Across Northern Nigeria, entire territories have fallen into the hands of terrorists. In states like Zamfara, Katsina, Niger, and Borno, bandits and Boko Haram insurgents collect taxes from villagers, kidnap school children in broad daylight, and slaughter citizens without fear of the government. The Nigerian military has been outgunned, outmaneuvered, and outsmarted.  

Yet, Tinubu has not declared a state of emergency there. The blood of innocent people spilled in those states means nothing to him. But in Rivers where no single life has been lost, where the so-called crisis is purely politica he rushes to flex his presidential powers.  

Why? Because Rivers is rich in oil. Rivers is strategic. Rivers is not under the control of his political puppets. 

  

Let’s call a spade a spade: This state of emergency is Wike’s last card in his desperate bid to remain relevant. Since decamping to APC and installing Fubara as governor, Wike has fought tooth and nail to control Rivers from Abuja. He thought Fubara would be a puppet, but the governor quickly proved otherwise. The plan to intimidate and overthrow him politically failed, so now they are using the full weight of the presidency to achieve what Wike couldn’t accomplish through political maneuvering.  

This is history repeating itself. We have seen this script before in Bayelsa, in Odi, in Zaki Biam. In 1999, Obasanjo ordered the military to invade Odi in Bayelsa State, massacring hundreds of innocent civilians under the guise of fighting militancy. Rivers may be next.  

When the North was burning, where was Tinubu? When terrorists hoisted their flags, collected taxes, and took over government control in some local governments, where was the state of emergency? 

But Rivers a peaceful, economically viable state is suddenly the greatest threat to national security? The hypocrisy is staggering.  

Let’s be clear: This is not about governance. This is about conquest The same old pattern, use military-backed political force to capture the South-South, control its oil wealth, and silence any resistance. If Rivers people resist, expect a full-blown military invasion. The warning signs are there.  

The people of Rivers State must not be fooled. This is no attempt to “restore democracy”; it is an attempt to hijack their democracy. If this is allowed, then no state in the South is safe. Today, it is Rivers. Tomorrow, it could be Delta. Next, Bayelsa, Abia.

This is a battle for political survival, but more importantly, it is a battle for the soul of the South-South. If Rivers State falls to political conquest, then the entire region has been conquered.  

And we all know how that ends.

Family Writers Press International.