An activist and lawyer, Chetam Nwala, has accused President Bola Tinubu of pursuing a political agenda rather than stability when he declared a state of emergency in Rivers State earlier this year.
Nwala made the allegation on Tuesday during an interview on The Morning Brief, a programme aired on Channels Television.
According to him, the declaration of emergency rule in the oil-rich state was a calculated political move aimed at securing the President’s 2027 re-election ambition, rather than resolving the political crisis in the state.
The lawyer insisted that the President’s action had nothing to do with restoring order in Rivers State, describing it as a strategy to gain political control ahead of the next general election.
“You remember, I have always stated, and I will keep mentioning that the declaration of emergency was purely political. It was not about stabilising the state at all,” Nwala said.
He added, “It was a president trying to make sure that ambition for 2027 is being protected within the body of Rivers State.”
Tinubu Suspended Fubara, Lawmakers
Recall that President Tinubu, in March 2025, declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, suspending Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly over the prolonged political crisis in the state.
The move generated widespread reactions across the country, with critics questioning the constitutional basis and political implications of the action.
Nwala further claimed that the emergency rule weakened Governor Fubara politically, forcing him into alignment with the ruling All Progressives Congress.
“And of course, we have seen what has happened to the governor. The governor has been hoodwinked,” he said.
He added that Fubara returned to political life “like a wounded and a defeated lion” before defecting to the APC to work with the President.
“Having returned back, he has now defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, to work with the president,” he stated.
The activist alleged that the President was unconcerned about the economic impact of the emergency rule on Rivers State, insisting that the overriding interest was political loyalty.
“This was all because there was a state of emergency. This was all because the President had a 2027 ambition,” Nwala said.
“So he didn’t care whether the Rivers economy was dying. His interest was to make sure that the governor comes to his party, which they succeeded.”