- President Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State
- Osigwe criticized the approach being taken to address the crisis in Rivers State
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has urged President Bola Tinubu to promptly reinstate Governor Siminalayi Fubara to his elected position in Rivers State.
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) asserted that President Tinubu’s removal of Governor Siminalayi Fubara was unconstitutional.
On March 18, 2025, President Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, which was followed by what many Nigerians are calling the unconstitutional suspension of the elected governor, his deputy, and all members of the House of Assembly due to the ongoing political crisis in the oil-rich state.
The President appointed Ibok-Ete Ibas, a retired naval chief, as the state’s sole administrator.
In response, the NBA promptly issued a statement declaring that the President does not possess the authority to suspend democratically elected officials.
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Reiterating its earlier position, the NBA, represented by its President Afam Osigwe during an appearance on Sunday Politics on Channels Television, emphasized that Fubara must be reinstated as the governor of Rivers State, as the constitution does not recognize the role of a Sole Administrator.
That is our belief, that is what we expect the president to do, to restore him (Fubara) back to power having unconstitutionally removed him,” Osigwe said on the program when asked if the president should recall the governor.
And that is why we do not recognize that a sole administrator is the rightful person to occupy the government house in Rivers State having been appointed unconstitutionally.
Even when I saw him taking the oath of office, I was wondering which oath he was taking because he was taking an oath not known to the constitution, the constitution does not recognize an administrator, he said.
Osigwe criticized the approach being taken to address the crisis in Rivers State, comparing it to someone using a sledgehammer to treat a headache. He suggested that the solution is not only ineffective but also potentially damaging, highlighting the inappropriateness of the chosen method.
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Osigwe declared that the measures being taken to address the Rivers State crisis are “overreaching, extensive, undemocratic and above all, unconstitutional.“
He also asserted that the root of the crisis in Rivers State is political, and therefore, only a political solution can effectively resolve it.
I do not believe that it (Section 305) is not explicit, I simply believe that we deliberately refuse to apply it the way it is, Osigwe said.
Osigwe dismissed the National Assembly’s approval of the President’s actions, arguing that it does not lend legitimacy to the measures taken.
He likened the approval to “placing something on nothing,” suggesting that it is a meaningless gesture without a solid foundation.
