President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State on Tuesday has reignited calls for self-determination from the Ijaw ethnic group in the Niger Delta.
Prof Benjamin Okaba, President of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), the Ijaw socio-cultural organization, expressed dissatisfaction with the decision in an interview with Vanguard.
“For Ijaw people, we are not too happy because we see this as another slap on us. But again, our position will be deliberated upon in a wider stakeholders’ meeting that will be convened later,” he stated.
He further said, “In that meeting, I am sure the Ijaw people will look at how we have fared in this Nigerian project and what options are left to drive home our quest for self-determination.”
He criticized the swiftness of the declaration, arguing that President Tinubu had numerous opportunities to address the situation differently. “We say it is hasty because the President has so much opportunity to leverage on the calls made by Nigerians from all quarters to call his minister, Nyesom Wike, to order,” Okaba added.
He continued, “Secondly, while Wike himself has been the antagonist, he had boldly stated that he would make governance impossible for the governor, Siminalayi Fubara, in as much as he does not dance to his tune.”
Okaba outlined Wike’s intentions, quoting him as saying, “Allow him to control all the LGAs in Rivers State, and that he (Fubara) should sign an agreement that he would not contest in 2027.”
The INC president claimed that Wike’s desire to capture power and resources in Rivers State was a serious issue, warning that it would harm the people.
“The governor, who entered into a covenant with the people of Rivers to deliver on sustainable development, cannot mortgage that mandate because he wants to satisfy somebody,” he said.
Okaba also expressed his belief that the state of emergency should involve all individuals contributing to the crisis. “Wike has to be sacked, and all the federal appointees from the state also have to be sacked because if you do not sack them, they will use their positions to perpetrate more crises and create more advantageous roles for themselves.”
He further alleged that Wike had orchestrated the crisis in order to prompt a state of emergency. “We have seen right from the beginning that the declaration was one of the options Wike was looking at. He felt if the judiciary cannot remove him quickly; if the House of Assembly could not take him off; then the next option is to create a chaotic situation so that an emergency can be imposed on the state,” Okaba concluded.
In response, Miakpor Emiaso, a retired President of the Delta State Customary Court, expressed mixed feelings about the situation.
“I suppose it is an inevitable, yet, unfortunate imperative that we have found ourselves in Rivers State,” he said.
He pointed out the president’s subtle political bias in declaring the state of emergency, stating, “If you noticed, the president never mentioned the name of the speaker in the broadcast, nor did he refer to the well-known external influence on the House of Assembly, which is the origin of this crisis.”
Emiaso criticized the six-month duration of the state of emergency, suggesting that it was excessive, particularly with a retired military officer appointed as the sole administrator. “It is too long, especially when you drafted a retired military officer to run the state as an administrator,” he said.
Former Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) president, Dr. Chris Ekyor, also expressed his shock at the state of emergency declaration. “The state of emergency came to me as a rude shock. It gives the impression that the president is answerable to his minister,” he said.
Ekyor questioned the legality of the defection of 27 lawmakers and the judicial ruling that recognized them as legitimate members.
He claimed that Wike’s actions were an affront to the Ijaw people and criticized his treatment of them. “He insulted Ijaw in Abuja at a media parley. Then he came to the heart of Ijaw land, shot at our women and children with tear gas, and further insulted us by asking, ‘How many dem dey?’”
Dr. Ekyor also drew attention to the president’s failure to declare a state of emergency when former Lagos Governor Bola Tinubu opposed former President Olusegun Obasanjo, stating, “President Tinubu rebelled against the former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, between 2003 and 2007, as the governor of Lagos State. No state of emergency was declared on him.”
Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, a former presidential candidate, emphasized the need for a peaceful resolution to the crisis, calling the state of emergency declaration troubling. “Political conflicts in the past were driven by ideological differences and national interest, not ego and power games. The current situation in Rivers State reflects a dangerous shift in Nigeria’s political culture,” he said.
Hashim expressed concerns about the political instability the state of emergency could cause and warned against using such extreme measures without caution. “Nigeria is a multi-ethnic nation with complex fault lines and competing loyalties. Extreme measures like a state of emergency should be applied with caution and fairness to avoid further political and social instability,” he added.
He also praised the House of Representatives’ stance on overseeing the sole administrator in Rivers State. “The decision by the House of Representatives reinforces the principle of constitutional order and legislative oversight,” Hashim said.
Hashim concluded with a call for political leaders to focus on the country’s development, saying, “Nigeria needs development and stability, not power struggles. Political leaders must rise above personal disputes and focus on governance that delivers peace, progress, and prosperity for the people.”