Rotimi Amaechi, the former Rivers State Governor has alleged that the ongoing political crisis in Rivers is a struggle over money sharing between suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike.
Amaechi in an interview dismissed the feud as a battle for financial control rather than governance, questioning why Nigerians have not demanded transparency from both politicians.
“The fight between the current governor of Rivers State and the FCT minister is about sharing money. If not, what’s the quarrel?” he said. “Nigerians don’t dislike corruption again. I’ve not seen anybody on the street querying what the problem is. Can both of them speak to the public and tell us what the problem is about?”
Amaechi condemned the ‘State of Emergency’ declaration, argued that it sets a dangerous precedent where governors can be removed at will. He described the situation as a political power struggle between the president and Wike, with Fubara caught in the middle.
“The president wants a power grab. They want to frighten governors who may not support them in 2027,” he said.
He also questioned the justification for emergency rule, pointing out that other regions facing severe security challenges have not been subjected to similar actions.
“If the president said it is because of insecurity, because they blew the pipeline, what about parts of the country where there is insecurity? Is the president saying they should impose emergency rule on him too?”
Amaechi maintained that security matters fall under the president’s jurisdiction, not the governor’s, and insisted that Fubara is being unfairly punished.
“Rivers governor has no security responsibility; it rests squarely on the president. So why punish a man who did not commit an offence?” he added.
He called on Rivers residents to resist Tinubu’s decision through democratic protests, warning that the emergency rule undermines constitutional governance.
