Sola Adeyemo 
Amid widespread criticism and opposition trailing President Bola Tinubu’s decision to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State, the National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Felix Morka, has defended the move, accusing suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara of trampling on democracy.
President Tinubu invoked Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to declare the state of emergency, suspending Governor Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and all members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for an initial period of six months.
In an exclusive interview on Eagle 102.5 FM’s Current Affairs program, Frontline, monitored by New Telegraph, Morka criticized opposition figures such as the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, for failing to speak against Fubara’s actions before the President’s intervention.
His words: “Everyone commenting has been speaking from a place of political bias; they are not being objective. If they were objective, I bet I would have been invited earlier to discuss Governor Fubara’s consistent attacks on democracy. He was slapping democracy in the face with his actions.
“Shortly after assuming office, he attempted to replace the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, who was also duly elected.
“When his attempt to remove Speaker Martins Amaewhule failed, the governor orchestrated the demolition of the Assembly complex, effectively stalling legislative activities in the state.
“Yet, none of these opposition figures raised their voices. Peter Obi said nothing while Fubara worked to cripple the state legislature. He also proceeded to freeze all financial allocations.”
Defending the state of emergency, Morka emphasized that President Tinubu acted within the framework of Section 305 of the Nigerian Constitution, which empowers the president to declare a state of emergency in cases of severe threats to national security or governance.
According to him, intelligence reports indicated escalating security risks, including threats to critical oil infrastructure in Rivers State after the vandalization of the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP), Nigeria’s largest pipeline.
Morka further pointed out that the declaration was not a unilateral decision, as it was later ratified by a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly.
Given the Assembly’s multi-partisan nature, he argued that the approval reflected a broad consensus across political lines regarding the necessity of emergency rule.
“The National Assembly is not just made up of APC members; it includes representatives from the PDP, Labour Party, and others. Together, after considering all available information, they approved the President’s declaration of emergency rule in Rivers State.”
On the most controversial aspect, the suspension of Governor Fubara, critics, including the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), have argued that Section 188 of the Constitution outlines a clear process for removing a Governor, which was not followed in this case.
However, Morka contended that the president did not remove the Governor but merely suspended him as an extraordinary measure to stabilize the state.
He cited Section 5(3) of the Constitution, which states that a governor must not exercise executive authority in a way that undermines the federal government.
“Section 5(3) of the 1999 Constitution states that executive powers vested in a state must be exercised in a way that does not impede federal authority, endanger federal assets, or threaten the Federation’s existence,” he said.
According to Morka, Fubara’s actions violated this provision, justifying presidential intervention.
He also questioned why PDP Governors and leaders failed to address the crisis before it escalated, accusing them of ignoring the governor’s actions for months only to challenge the federal government’s intervention.
Morka criticized Governor Fubara’s response to security incidents in the State, particularly his alleged inaction following an explosion that threatened critical oil assets.
He claimed the Governor failed to issue a public statement or deploy security forces, raising suspicions of complicity.
“The president could not remain a passive observer while critical assets were being destroyed,” Morka said.
“Allowing chaos in Rivers State to fester would be detrimental to Nigeria’s economic recovery.”
Despite the controversy, Morka reiterated that President Tinubu has no intention of prolonging emergency rule in Rivers State.
He outlined the government’s primary objectives as restoring law and order in the State, preventing threats to national security and key infrastructure, and encouraging negotiations among stakeholders, including the Governor and State assembly, to reach a sustainable resolution.
“As soon as these conditions are met, there will be no reason for the emergency rule to continue.
“The people of Rivers State deserve peace and security, and it is the responsibility of their leaders to prioritize their well-being over partisan interests,” Morka assured.
