A legal practitioner, Liborous Oshoma, has expressed concerns that politicians in Nigeria have not learnt any lessons from the recent suspension of democratic governance in Rivers State.
Oshoma stated this on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Wednesday shortly after President Bola Tinubu lifted the six-month emergency rule in the state.
He also questioned the fairness of the emergency rule declaration, noting that if it had happened in an All Progressives Congress (APC) state, it would have been viewed differently.
“I do not think the politicians have learnt anything. Today, we have seen it happen in a PDP state because you have a former governor who has one leg in the PDP and one leg in the APC, and so it is easy.”
Oshoma suggested that the president could have declared a state of emergency without suspending elected officials.
“The President can declare a state of emergency in Rivers without having to sack the duly elected government in that state.
”You can still deploy police, DSS, Army to the state to maintain peace without having to sack a democratically elected government.”
Oshoma noted that the crisis in Rivers State was not unique and that similar situations exist across the country.
“The crisis in Rivers State is not different from the crisis we see across the board politically, ” said.
President Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State on March 18, 2025, citing a prevailing crisis that had rocked the oil-rich state.
The emergency rule led to the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
Retired Naval Vice-Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas was appointed to administer the state for six months.
