‘Clear abuse of power by all actors’ — Jonathan speaks on Rivers crisis

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has criticised the handling of the political crisis in Rivers state.

On March 18, President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers state over political and security instability in the state.

He also suspended Siminalayi Fubara, governor of the state; Ngozi Odu, his deputy and all members of the house of assembly.

Subsequently, the national assembly ratified the decision of the president through voice votes.

Speaking on Saturday at the annual colloquium organised by the Haske Satumari Foundation in Abuja, Jonathan accused all three arms of government of misusing their authority. 

“As a former president and also from the Niger Delta, when the issue of suspending the governor of Rivers state came up, I think people called on me, President Jonathan and ex-President Obasanjo to say something,” he said.

“People expected us to say something about what was happening. But traditionally, all over the world, former presidents hardly make statements about what the current presidents are doing because of the tension it could create in the country.

“What is happening in Nigeria today regarding the situation in Rivers state is like an Indian proverb that says: ‘If somebody is sleeping, really sleeping, you can easily wake up that person. But if that person is pretending to sleep, you (will) find it difficult to wake up that person’.

“The key actors in Nigeria, from the executive to the legislature, judiciary and the Senate and the judiciary… they know the correct thing to do. But they are refusing to do it.

“They are pretending to sleep and waking such a person is extremely difficult because the person knows the right thing. A clear abuse of office and clear abuse of power cutting across from the three arms of government — from the executive to the parliament and the judiciary.”

The former president also warned that actions taken by those in power will have lasting consequences, urging politicians to recognise their collective responsibility in governance.