The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has expressed strong disapproval of President Bola Tinubu’s recent decision to suspend Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, and the state’s House of Assembly members.
In a statement, Professor Abubakar Jika Jiddere, the NEF spokesperson, urged the president to immediately reinstate the governor and his deputy.
He argued that while the Nigerian Constitution (Section 305) allows the president to declare a state of emergency, the situation in Rivers does not meet the required conditions, such as war, invasion, public disorder, or natural disaster.
The NEF believes that political conflicts—particularly the ongoing rivalry between Governor Fubara and a federal minister linked to Rivers’ former governor—should not justify such drastic action.
They insist that the federal government should resolve the crisis in Rivers peacefully rather than suspending elected officials.
Additionally, the NEF warned that political tensions are also growing in Kano State, where there is an ongoing power struggle over the traditional leadership of the Kano Emirate.
They urged the federal government to intervene before the situation escalates.
The elders stated that democracy must be protected and that suspending a governor without clear constitutional grounds sets a dangerous precedent for the country.
