Fubara: Atiku’s Aide Reveals Why Obasanjo Was Successful In Removing Governors

A prominent aide to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Demola Olarewaju, has sharply criticized President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State.

Olarewaju likened the move to decisions made during the tenure of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, arguing that such actions were possible in the past due to the country’s nascent democracy and the slower pace of news cycles at the time.

In his comments, Olarewaju remarked that while Obasanjo was able to remove governors with relative ease during his presidency, President Tinubu’s attempts to do the same in Rivers State are more likely to backfire in the current political climate.

He emphasized that during Obasanjo’s time, the news cycle was slower, and social media did not exist, making it easier to manage such controversial decisions without widespread backlash.

“Twenty-two years ago, a sitting Governor, Chris Ngige, was abducted and held hostage for hours—it was Nigeria’s first democratic experiment since 1983, and social media wasn’t yet a thing; they could keep it hushed,” Olarewaju pointed out.

He added that the political landscape and communication systems have drastically changed since then, making such actions far more difficult to execute successfully.

Olarewaju was particularly critical of Tinubu’s decision to appoint Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.) as the Sole Administrator of Rivers State after suspending Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

He described the move as “dangerous” and expressed his disbelief at the President’s reliance on a retired military figure to handle a political crisis.

“To invite a retired military personnel to take power in Rivers State over political squabbles is such a dangerous move by Tinubu, I’m still stunned by it,” Olarewaju stated on 𝕏, formerly Twitter.

He questioned why Tinubu would resort to such drastic measures in handling a political issue, especially when the situation could have been resolved through more democratic means.

The aide to Atiku went on to say that Tinubu’s handling of the emergency situation in Rivers reflected his lack of historical understanding.

He argued that while Obasanjo had the political muscle to manage such situations in the past, the current environment in Nigeria is vastly different.

“OBJ could do it for several reasons, mainly because he was one of the boys. Tinubu’s attempt to do the same may easily backfire,” Olarewaju noted, adding that Tinubu’s poor handling of the economy had already sent more Nigerians into poverty than the previous administration under Muhammadu Buhari.

Olarewaju concluded by emphasizing the changing political climate and the impossibility of replicating Obasanjo’s actions today.

He compared the current political environment to the early years of Nigeria’s democracy, where actions that would be highly controversial today could be carried out with little public pushback.

“Obasanjo removed several governors when he was President—tell Emperor Tinubu also to attempt it since he doesn’t understand that seasons are different.

“Baba could do all of that because democracy was still nascent, and the news cycle/analysis was very slow compared to now,” Olarewaju concluded.