Kenneth Okonkwo, a former Labour Party chieftain, has advised Rivers State governor, Siminalayi Fubara, to approach the courts for redress over the six months he lost in office following the declaration of emergency rule in the state.
![](https://thenigerialawyer.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/idrinstitute.png")
On September 17, President Bola Tinubu lifted the six-month emergency rule earlier imposed on Rivers in the wake of a protracted political crisis. Fubara, his deputy, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, who had been suspended from office during the period, returned on September 19.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on Monday, Okonkwo argued that the governor has the constitutional right to demand the extension of his tenure. He referenced Supreme Court precedents affirming that a governor’s tenure is constitutionally guaranteed to last for four years.
“This has nothing to do with antagonising whoever declared a state of emergency. It has something to do with the constitutional provision that he (Fubara) was elected by Rivers people to serve them for four years, and the four years have been interpreted by the supreme court to be sacrosanct,” Okonkwo said.
He described the six months lost under emergency rule as having been “illegally” and “brutally” taken away from Fubara’s mandate.
Citing Section 180 (2) of the Constitution, he stressed that a governor vacates office only after four full years from the date of swearing-in. “He has the right to seek redress at the supreme court so that the six months will be added to him. As a matter of fact, when you declare a state of emergency, you ought to shift elections by six months,” he added.
The lawyer and public affairs analyst also questioned the justification for the imposition of emergency rule, insisting that Rivers never experienced a breakdown of law and order warranting such a drastic measure.
“What we had was a political logjam. The constitution made it clear that the breakdown of law and order that will require a state of emergency is such that requires extraordinary measures in order to restore peace and security,” he said.
“What was it in Rivers State that required extraordinary measures? Five hundred persons were roasted in Benue but the president did not think there was a need for extraordinary measures in that state.”
Following his return to Government House, Fubara had said in a statewide broadcast that he resisted pressure to legally challenge the emergency rule declaration at the time.
Meanwhile, Okonkwo also called for the probe of the immediate past Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Ibok Ekwe Ibas. Speaking on the same programme, he alleged that outsiders controlled the state’s affairs during the emergency rule, describing them as “strangers” with no direct stake in Rivers.
“Strictly speaking, let me say this to Rivers people and every other state in Nigeria. They should learn from this. When you are disunited in your state, strangers will be brought in to siphon your resources. This state of emergency in Rivers State was uncalled for. All of them were from the same political family, whether Wike or Fubara. So it was unnecessary. They should learn, and every other state should learn.
“Have you noticed that all the people that decided the destiny of Rivers State in this period of state of emergency were all strangers? For example, President Bola Tinubu from Lagos or Osun, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio from Akwa Ibom, the House of Representatives Speaker, Abbas Tajudeen from Kaduna State, the Chief Justice of Nigeria from Lagos State, or the Sole Administrator, Ibas from Cross River State. All these people are aliens to Rivers.
“And they have come to siphon the resources of Rivers State. N22bn was budgeted to put CCTV in the State House in Rivers; Ibas should be probed,” Okonkwo said.
Contact & Orders 📞 0704 444 4777 | 0704 444 4999 | 0818 199 9888 🌐 www.alexandernigeria.com
______________________________________________________________________
The books are available for purchase at:
Online: www.educodex.com | www.selar.com | www.amazon.com | www.mikeozekhome.com
Enquiries: +234 704 044 9375 | +234 814 813 4773 | +234 816 872 3532
Email: educodexl@gmail.com
______________________________________________________________________
“History of Rivers State Judiciary: A Compendium of Personalities on the Bench.” Authored by Ampim Gogo Blankson, Esq., Deputy Director at the Rivers State Ministry of Justice, in collaboration with the Rivers State Judiciary
💰 Cover Price: ₦20,000.00 (Twenty Thousand Naira)
Bukky Law Books, Rivers State High Court Complex, Moscow Road, Port Harcourt – 📞 08034868754📞 08034729738📞 Enquiries
______________________________________________________________________
Explore Nigeria’s Constitutional System — 17 Chapters, 924 Pages Of Insight By Prof. Hagler Sunny Okorie
