Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has strongly criticized President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, calling it an act of political manipulation and bad faith.

Atiku accused Tinubu of being a partisan actor in the state’s crisis, alleging that his refusal or calculated negligence in preventing the escalation was disgraceful. He expressed concern that under Tinubu’s leadership, the Niger Delta had regressed into an era of violent unrest, undoing the hard-won peace secured during the late President Umaru Yar’Adua’s administration.

“If federal infrastructure in Rivers has been compromised, the President bears full responsibility. Punishing the people of Rivers State to serve political gamesmanship is an assault on democracy that must be condemned,” Atiku stated.

President Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers following escalating political tensions. The move led to the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and the State House of Assembly for six months. Tinubu defended his decision, stating that the state’s political paralysis and governance failures made intervention necessary.

Atiku’s reaction underscores growing concerns about the implications of the state of emergency for democracy and governance in the region.