Obi Urges Fubara, Lawmakers to Embrace Peace After Tinubu’s Intervention

Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has called on political actors in Rivers State to reflect on the lessons of the six-month emergency rule and prioritize peace and reconciliation.

Obi, in a statement on Thursday via his X handle, described the intervention as a constitutional violation that weakened Nigeria’s democracy. He urged Governor Siminalayi Fubara, members of the state House of Assembly, and other stakeholders to admit past mistakes, learn from them, and move forward in unity.

President Bola Tinubu had declared a state of emergency in Rivers on March 18, 2025, suspending Governor Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, while appointing Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (retd.) as Sole Administrator. Though the President suspended the emergency rule on Wednesday, citing a “new spirit of understanding,” Obi maintained that such powers under Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution should only be exercised in situations of grave danger to public safety or national security.

Commending Rivers residents for their resilience amid the crisis, Obi stressed that true leadership lies in admitting errors, learning from them, and correcting them. He appealed to all political gladiators—particularly Fubara, lawmakers, and other leaders—to put aside differences and work towards restoring harmony in the state, noting that “the only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.”