O.C.J. Okocha, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and key figure in Rivers State politics, has broken his silence on the state’s escalating crisis in a YouTube address titled “Rivers Political Crisis: The True Story,” tracing its roots to a rift between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, while defending President Bola Tinubu’s recent state of emergency as constitutionally sound amid a breakdown of order.
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In a detailed 16-minute video posted on the NDNV Nigeria YouTube channel, O.C.J. Okocha (SAN), a respected legal luminary and self-described political influencer, offered an insider’s perspective on the turmoil gripping Rivers State. Okocha, who claims a significant role in Fubara’s rise to power, expressed dismay at the “very unfortunate developments,” recounting his efforts alongside Rivers Elders Forum Chairman Chief Ferdinand Alabraba and the late Sergeant Awuse—whom he dubbed the “bulldozer of Rivers politics”—to install Fubara as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate. “The governor himself categorized us as the three wise men who helped support Governor Wike to bring him forward,” Okocha noted, highlighting their principled stance to ensure representation for the Rivers Southeast Senatorial zone, home to the Opobo, Andoni, and Ogoni peoples.
Okocha explained that Fubara’s candidacy, as an Ijaw man from an underrepresented area, initially united the state, building on a history where upland and riverine dynamics shaped gubernatorial selections—like Rotimi Amaechi and Peter Odili from the upland, and Rufus Ada George from the riverine side. “We acted on principle, not sentiment,” he stressed, citing the region’s exclusion from the governorship since Bayelsa’s creation. However, harmony unraveled post-election as “small cleavages” emerged between Fubara and Wike, his predecessor and political mentor, despite the Elders Council’s mediation attempts.
The crisis escalated in late 2023 when President Tinubu convened a peace summit in Abuja, attended by Fubara, Wike (now FCT Minister), Speaker Martin Amaewhule, former Governor Peter Odili, and others, including Okocha. The resulting eight-point resolution—signed by all, including National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu—called for withdrawing impeachment proceedings against Fubara and related lawsuits. “We thought we had solved the problem,” Okocha said, but compliance faltered. While the House of Assembly dropped its impeachment threat and Fubara withdrew some cases, dissenters challenged Tinubu’s authority, filing fresh suits, including one questioning Fubara’s obligation to present a budget to Amaewhule’s 27-member Assembly faction.
Okocha traced the legal saga to a Supreme Court ruling two months ago, affirming decisions by Justice Omotosho at the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal that only Amaewhule’s faction—comprising 27 of 32 lawmakers—constituted the legitimate Assembly. The court dismissed a rival faction of three or four members as “a joke taken too far.” Fubara, in a broadcast, pledged to implement the ruling despite disagreeing, but Okocha lamented the lack of follow-through. “No budget was presented,” he said, noting Fubara’s failed attempt to access the Assembly—allegedly locked—and a letter from the Secretary to the State Government, not the governor, which the House deemed improper.
The situation spiraled until March 18, 2025, when Tinubu declared a six-month state of emergency under Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution, suspending Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu, and the Assembly, and appointing Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (Rtd) as Administrator. Okocha called this “extreme” but lawful, citing constitutional provisions for emergencies during breakdowns of public order or imminent threats—conditions he implied were met in Rivers. He referenced precedents under Presidents Goodluck Jonathan (Borno, Adamawa, Yobe) and in the First Republic’s Western Region (1962-64), noting the National Assembly’s swift two-thirds approval last week. “The president has acted in accordance with the Constitution,” Okocha affirmed, dismissing claims of overreach.
Okocha recounted failed peace efforts by the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), led by ex-Akwa Ibom Governor Victor Attah, who met with Rivers elders and later Tinubu, urging Fubara to honor the Supreme Court’s budget directive. “There can be no two ways about it,” Okocha quoted Tinubu, expressing frustration at the governor’s defiance. He urged all parties to “calm down,” invoking a viral social media phrase, and expressed hope that Ibas’s administration would restore peace, security, and order, paving the way for a return to civilian rule.
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