Rotimi Amaechi, a former Rivers governor and minister of transportation, has said that President Bola Tinubu’s declared state of emergency in Rivers State is a plot to intimidate other governors and grab power in 2027.

Mr Amaechi, in an interview with DW Africa on Friday, condemned the state of emergency declaration in Rivers as a violation of democracy by Mr Tinubu and his ally, Nyesom Wike, the Federal Capital Territory minister.

“The president has imposed military rule on us in Rivers. He acted out the constitution,” Mr Amaechi said.

“It is between the president and the FCT minister. The president wants a power grab. They want to frighten governors who may not support them in 2027. So, there is a rumour everywhere that if you are not careful, the president will remove you.”

The former governor dismissed Mr Tinubu’s excuse for declaring the state of emergency, saying “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? They can’t because he is a democratically elected president. Nobody can impose an emergency rule on him because there is serious insecurity in the north-east, north-west — even in south-east and south-west.

“Rivers governor has no security responsibility; it rests squarely on the president. So why punish a man who did not commit an offence?,” Mr Amaechi said.

Bayo Onanuga, spokesperson for the president, could not be reached for response to Mr Amaechi’s statement. However, he had said that the declared state of emergency saved Rivers from collapse and destruction amid power tussle between stubborn governor Sim Fubara and Mr Wike’s “combatants who refused to allow reason to prevail.”

On March 18, Mr Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, suspending Mr Fubara, his deputy and all elected officials in the state amid political crisis between Mr Fubara and his godfather turned adversary, Mr Wike.

Many Nigerians have questioned the power of Mr Tinubu to suspend elected officials in a state.

However, the National Assembly has ratified the state of emergency via voice note, a move many have condemned as improper to determine a 2/3 majority in a serious issue like that of Rivers.