Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has once again criticised President Bola Tinubu over the suspension and subsequent reinstatement of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara and members of the State House of Assembly, describing the action as a grave breach of the Nigerian Constitution.
Atiku, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, took to his official X handle on Thursday, insisting there was never any legal basis for the suspension and warning that such moves erode democratic values.
“Lifting the suspension of Governor Simi Fubara is nothing to cheer about. The suspension of the Rivers State Governor and the State House of Assembly was unconstitutional when it was done six months ago and is still illegal today,” he wrote.
The former Vice President stressed that the Constitution does not empower the president to suspend or interfere with the tenure of democratically elected state leaders, describing Tinubu’s actions as a dangerous overreach.
“President Tinubu had no power to suspend a democratically elected governor and state lawmakers. The Rivers shenanigans only signpost the dictatorship of the Tinubu administration,” Atiku declared.
His remarks follow President Tinubu’s announcement on Wednesday lifting the state of emergency in Rivers State, directing Governor Fubara, his deputy Prof. Ngozi Nma Odu, and lawmakers to resume duties on September 18.
The suspension, which was declared in March, had sparked heated controversy, with opposition figures, civil society groups, and constitutional experts condemning it as an affront to separation of powers and state autonomy under the 1999 Constitution.
Atiku warned against celebrating the lifting of the suspension, saying it risked normalising constitutional violations.
“There is absolutely nothing to celebrate. What was illegal yesterday remains illegal today. Nigerians must be vigilant, because this is how democracies collapse — through gradual violations of the law under the guise of order,” he cautioned.
