By Lexan Ali

The popular saying, “Whom the gods wish to destroy, they first make mad,” aptly captures the reckless and despotic actions of President Tinubu in his recent declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State. In what can only be described as an outright abuse of power, Tinubu assumed unconstitutional authority to remove or suspend the elected governor, his deputy, and the State House of Assembly, while moving to impose a sole administrator on the people. These are not the actions of a democrat but of a despotic leader. In fact, this reveals the true character of the regime—stripped of all his democratic pretence—as a power-hungry dictator willing to crush any opposition for personal and political gain just similar to the method of arresting and detaining peaceful protesters during the #EndBadGovernace protest.

The Movement for a Socialist Alternative (MSA) strongly condemns and opposes this illegal and undemocratic move, which infringes on the fundamental rights of the people of Rivers State to choose their leaders and determine their own destiny. We call on the working people and the oppressed masses of Rivers to reject all such authoritarian manoeuvres and unite under a broad-based, independent mass movement that can resist bad governance in the state, and also Nyesom Wike, who continues to pull the strings behind the scenes as Minister of the FCT.

In light of these events, it is important to reaffirm that the imposition of a state of emergency and the appointment of a sole administrator in a state where the governor has neither been impeached nor declared incapacitated have no basis in the Nigerian Constitution. Such actions are widely seen as lacking legal foundation and legitimacy. Rejecting these moves is both necessary and justified—a stand that represents a moral and political victory for the people of Rivers.

However, our opposition to Tinubu’s declaration should not be mistaken as support for Governor Fubara. It is important to state that Fubara himself is a product of the same rotten political machinery that has ruled Rivers under both the PDP and APC—regimes that have brought nothing but mass poverty and underdevelopment to the state. His current fallout with his political godfather, Wike, is not about the welfare of the people but about power, control, and access to the state’s vast resources. At the heart of this crisis is nothing more than a struggle between two corrupt factions of the ruling class over who controls the levers of power and who benefits from the looting of public wealth.

The Defection Drama and Judicial Ambiguities

The crisis deepened following the alleged defection of 27 pro-Wike lawmakers, whose seats were subsequently declared vacant by the PDP leadership in the state. What followed was a flurry of court cases, political manoeuvrings, and acts of sabotage. These included attempts to impeach the governor and the suspicious destruction of the State House of Assembly—a move widely believed to have been orchestrated to forestall any impeachment process. Naturally, fingers pointed at Fubara.

As the power tussle intensified, governance in Rivers became paralysed. Where it occurred at all, it was carried out with complete disregard for constitutional provisions. Legislative duties such as budget presentations, approvals, and ministerial appointments were handled by only four members of the House out of thirty-one, completely excluding the 27 pro-Wike defectors. This mockery of democracy exposed the bourgeois political elite’s utter contempt for the rule of law.

The Supreme Court’s judgement on the matter only worsened the situation. Its ambiguous stance—particularly its vague comments on the budget and silence on the legal implications of the lawmakers’ defection—created a loophole. This grey area in the ruling gave political actors the opportunity to manipulate the situation to their advantage, laying the groundwork for Tinubu’s premature and dangerous move to declare a state of emergency.

An Urgent Call to Resistance

The crisis in Rivers State is a reflection of the failure of the capitalist system and its godfather-driven politics. It is the product of a system that puts personal ambition and political patronage above the collective interests of the people. As we’ve seen time and again, the masses are always the ones left to suffer while the elite scramble for positions and contracts.

MSA reiterates that the only way forward is for the working people of Rivers—and across Nigeria—to organise independently of both the ruling parties and their factions. We must build a mass-based political alternative rooted in the struggles of workers, youth, and the poor, one that stands against the corrupt political order and for a democratic socialist future. This crisis, like many others in the country, is a stark reminder that real democracy cannot exist under a system ruled by godfathers, billionaires, and political thugs.