Port Harcourt, April 10, 2025 — Chairman of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Ambassador Godknows Igali, has strongly condemned the imposition of emergency rule in Rivers State, describing it as a dangerous rollback of democratic governance and constitutional order.
In an open letter dated April 3 and addressed to the Sole Administrator of the state, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), Igali expressed grave concern over what he termed the “systematic dismantling” of democratic institutions in the state since the emergency declaration by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on March 18.
Emergency Rule Draws Backlash
The emergency rule followed months of political instability and tensions involving former Governor Siminalayi Fubara. His administration came under fire after the controversial demolition of the State House of Assembly complex in late 2023 and a series of executive actions that raised concerns about constitutional violations.
While President Tinubu cited the need to “restore order” as justification for the emergency intervention, PANDEF and other Niger Delta stakeholders have denounced it as an authoritarian overreach.
“I still cannot come to terms that a state of emergency was declared in Rivers State just one week after our most revered leaders had audience with Mr. President to explore peaceful resolution,” Igali wrote.
Accusations of Institutional Dismantling
In the letter, Igali accused the Sole Administrator of overseeing the disbandment of critical institutions, including the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), governing councils of state-owned tertiary institutions, and the Traditional Rulers Council.
He also decried the symbolic removal of Governor Fubara’s official portraits from public buildings, despite the Supreme Court’s ruling that the governor’s suspension did not constitute a legal removal from office.
“Your presence in Rivers State is an embarrassing aberration to all men of goodwill and good conscience,” Igali stated.
He recounted seeing empty portrait spaces at Port Harcourt International Airport and other government offices, which he said had become a visible sign of the administration’s attempt to erase the former governor from public consciousness.
Criticism of Fubara’s Administration
Igali acknowledged that the roots of the crisis were not solely caused by the emergency rule, pointing to actions taken under Governor Fubara’s leadership. Chief among them, he said, was the destruction of the legislative chamber without a reconstruction plan, an act the Supreme Court later condemned as unconstitutional.
In its February 28 ruling, the court noted that “a government cannot be said to exist without one of the three arms that make up government,” stressing the illegality of weakening the legislative structure.
Call for Restraint and Reconciliation
Despite the pointed criticism, Igali appealed to Vice Admiral Ibas to rise above political conflict and act in the interest of peace and unity.
“I take the liberty to caution that in this complex national assignment, you must be timorous enough not to find yourself taking decisions that pale in the sight of best and acceptable standards of decency,” he said.
He urged the administrator to engage constructively with appointees from the suspended administration and initiate steps to rebuild public trust and restore democratic order in the state.
