Former presidential spokesman Laolu Akande has criticised Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara for failing to challenge his suspension by President Bola Tinubu, saying he should have been the first to approach the Supreme Court.
Akande argued that if Tinubu had faced a similar situation during his tenure as Lagos State governor (1999–2007), he would have swiftly taken legal action.
He recalled how Tinubu, as an opposition governor, confronted the federal government in court over the seizure of local government funds by then-President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Akande faulted Fubara for waiting until seven governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) filed a suit at the Supreme Court against his six-month suspension.
“It’s a good move what the governors of the PDP have done. They probably would be able to save the day. But I’m surprised that Governor Fubara himself is sitting down. If somebody did this to Bola Ahmed Tinubu when he was governor of Lagos, do you know what he would be doing?
“He (Fubara) should be the first to go to court; he is still the governor, he still has a status; he’s not been removed. He couldn’t be removed that way. There is a questionable suspension.
“The first thing Governor Fubara ought to do if he knew what he was doing was to go to court. And to tell his people that what has happened in Rivers State is against the law but he couldn’t find the courage.
“How can I be a governor and the president who was also elected is asking me to go away?
READ ALSO: PDP Govs Fight Back, Drag Tinubu to Court Over Fubara’s Suspension
“Of course, I will go away so that there is no trouble, but I will go to the courts. And I will tell my people, you elected me, the president has asked me to go to court. It is wrong and I will fight it. That is how we can build democracy. It is not about people in Agbada (flowing gown),” Akande said.
Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, have been locked in a political battle over control of the state’s power structure for two years. Despite being a PDP member, Wike serves as Tinubu’s Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
On Tuesday, March 18, 2025, Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers, suspending Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and the state’s lawmakers for six months. Citing Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution, the president justified his action, saying he could not allow the political crisis in Rivers to escalate further.
The following day, Tinubu swore in retired naval officer Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas as the sole administrator of Rivers State.
Two days later, the National Assembly ratified the emergency rule, a decision that sparked widespread condemnation from pro-democracy groups and activists.
The suspension of Fubara and other elected officials has been met with strong opposition from key political figures, legal experts, and civil society groups.
Among those who have openly criticised the move are former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party’s Peter Obi, ex-Rivers governor Rotimi Amaechi, businessman Atedo Peterside, former Kaduna governor Nasir El-Rufai, and senior lawyer Femi Falana.
Institutions such as the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), the Labour Party (LP), and the PDP have also condemned the president’s action, describing it as unconstitutional.