Your Declaration Not About Fighting Insecurity, It’s About Taking Rivers State Through The Back Door – Oshoma Fires Tinubu

Nigerian lawyer, Liborous Oshoma, has disagreed with President Bola Tinubu on the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State.

The lawyer submitted that the federal government contradicted itself by the decision and acted based on political interest only.

He added that the state of emergency declared by Tinubu was not about fighting insecurity in the state but simply a way of taking over the state through the backdoor.

Naijaonpoint reports Oshoma made the submission on Friday during an interview with Arise TV.

Explaining his stand, the lawyer recalled that the federal government had, in the past, approached the Supreme Court and gotten an order which barred governors from suspending elected local government chairmen.

He pointed out that the same government is now attempting to remove a democratically elected governor and lawmakers under the guise of security concerns.

He further submitted that allocating funds to an unelected sole administrator would be a violation of the constitution.

He said, “Before now, the federal government approached the Supreme Court under section 7 of the constitution, requesting that the Supreme Court should make a pronouncement that under no guise can a state governor suspend a democratically elected local government chairman and the Supreme Court also agreed with it, with the APC and the federal government. That same federal government today is saying they have powers to suspend a democratically elected governor and state House of Assembly because the two cannot agree on what should happen in section 188.

“Now, the same highest court of the land says don’t release allocation to a government that is not democratically elected and now you appointed a sole administrator, you’re going to flout the constitution and release allocation. That means it is not about fighting insecurity, it’s about taking Rivers state through the back door. If it’s about insecurity, you’ll take charge of the areas and find solutions to the security challenges in those areas and not take over the entire state.”

Fubara Made A Reckless Statement

Oshoma also accused Governor Siminalayi Fubara was careless with his statement about “telling Rivers boys when to deploy.” He argued that political opponents could have easily taken advantage of the statement.

Naijaonpoint recalls President Tinubu on Tuesday, declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, suspended Governor Fubara, his deputy, and all elected state lawmakers for a period of six months.

He also appointed retired Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas as the state’s sole administrator.

The proclamation was ratified on Thursday by both chambers of the National Assembly.