On Thursday, a video went viral in which Philip Shaibu, the former deputy governor of Edo State, criticized President Bola Tinubu for suspending Siminalayi Fubara, the governor of Rivers State, his deputy, and members of the state House of Assembly.
Sitting next to an unnamed individual in white in the video, Shaibu criticized the federal government’s response to the political situation in Rivers and maintained that Fubara’s dismissal was unconstitutional.
“You can declare a state of emergency, you can even impose a sole administrator, but you cannot remove an elected governor. Fubara remains in office, even if just ceremonially. That is how it works,” Shaibu said in the video.
However, the Federal Government maintains that in order to avoid a political collapse, Tinubu had to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State.
Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, supported the President’s intervention while speaking to reporters at the Aso Rock Villa.
“We have about two years into the administration in the state. Now, when do you think he (President Tinubu) should have come in? Is it when everything has been destroyed? I don’t think so,” Fagbemi said.
Tinubu defended his choice in a nationwide broadcast, pointing to security issues, constitutional infractions, and protracted political unrest as justifications for the extreme action.
Shaibu’s remarks join the mounting backlash from politicians who doubt the legitimacy and ramifications of the federal government’s action in Rivers State.
