Former Akwa Ibom Governor Victor Attah has condemned the emergency rule in Rivers State and disruptions to its electoral process as a blatant disregard for Nigeria’s constitution, warning that the nation is veering dangerously from its federalist vision.
“The situation in Nigeria is dire. By all indications, the devil has arrived in the country. We had envisioned Nigeria as a federation, complete with all the essential components of federalism. Instead, we have dismantled those components and replaced them with something entirely different,” Attah declared on Wednesday during an interview with Arise TV.
The controversy stems from President Bola Tinubu’s March 18, 2025, declaration of a six-month state of emergency in Rivers, citing political unrest, pipeline vandalism, and a blast on the Trans-Niger Pipeline.
The move suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and the state assembly, with Retired Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas appointed as administrator, backed by military deployment.
Attah, a key figure in the Pan Niger Delta Forum, has long criticized Nigeria’s centralized governance.
He points to the Supreme Court’s February 2025 ruling invalidating a local government election by Fubara as part of the broader democratic erosion.
The People’s Democratic Party and former Governor Rotimi Amaechi have also decried the emergency as “state capture” and a “dangerous affront to democracy.”
Legal challenges, including a N20 billion lawsuit by the BOOT Party, demand the declaration’s reversal.
Attah urges a constitutional overhaul through a sovereign national conference and referendum within six months, advocating for a parliamentary system and decentralized power to restore federalism.
As Rivers’ emergency period nears its end, unresolved tensions and militarization persist, with Attah warning that Nigeria risks authoritarianism without urgent reform.
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