AMEACHI SAYS NATIONAL ASSEMBLY WEAK OVER RIVERS EMERGENCY
In a parallel discourse on Nigeria’s governance crisis, former Rivers State governor and ex-transportation minister Rotimi Amaechi has strongly criticized President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State and the subsequent removal of Governor Siminalayi Fubara. Speaking at the 9th Akinjide Adeosun Foundation Annual Leadership Discourse in Lagos, Amaechi labeled the action unconstitutional and accused the National Assembly of enabling illegality by failing to defend democratic principles.
Amaechi, whose speech was delivered under the theme “Fearless Leadership: A Panacea for Sustainable Development,” said Nigeria’s political crisis was a symptom of institutional decay and citizen passivity. “There is no such thing as a fearless leader where systems work,” he said. “You begin to talk about courage only when leadership fails. What we have is arbitrariness—governance not by law but by the whims of individuals.”
In his sharpest rebuke yet of the current administration, the former governor likened the presidential directive in Rivers to a coup cloaked in civilian authority. “The president didn’t just break the law—he broke the constitution,” he said. “The constitution is the Bible of the country. Its sanctity must be preserved. Yet, the president removed an elected governor and appointed a military man, and nothing happened.”
Amaechi also criticized the public’s muted reaction to the unfolding crisis, warning that docile followership fuels bad governance. “If the followers are not fearless, then fearless leaders cannot emerge,” he said.
