Looking at Rivers State, in the South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria, September 18, 2025 or thereabouts, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the fact that this oil-rich state is under emergency rule, in a democracy, one thing that comes to my mind is “Redemption Song” by the late legendary reggae superstar, Bob Marley.
“Redemption Song” by Marley is an expose of subjugation and slavery. It underlines freedom and truth, the need for action, the need to do what is right and the need to end oppression in a free world.
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In a stanza of that great song, Bob Marley sang: “Old pirates, yes they rob I/Sold I to the merchant ships/Minutes after they took I/From the bottomless pit/But my hand was made strong/By the hand of the Almighty/We forward in this generation/Triumphantly.”
Marley’s song choruses: “Won’t you help to sing/These songs of freedom?/’Cause all I ever have?/Redemption songs/Redemption songs/Redemption songs/These songs of freedom/Songs of freedom.”
In another stanza, the great musician sang: “Emancipate yourself from mental slavery/None but ourselves can free our minds/Have no fear for atomic energy/’Cause none of them can stop the time/How long shall they kill our prophets/While we stand aside and look?/Ooh, some say it’s just part of it/We’ve got to fulfil the book.”
The situation Marley described in the “Redemption Song” could be likened to Rivers State. A state under democracy was reduced to autocracy, with the imposition of emergency rule. Emergency rule in Rivers is synonymous with slavery. As Bob Marley charged his listeners, there is need for emancipation, liberation and freedom.
Two weeks to the expiration of the six months emergency rule imposed on the state by President Tinubu, which set aside the democratic structures in the state and the sacking of the elected Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the State House of Assembly, the chant of “song of freedom” by Bob Marley echoes in our minds. Rivers State needs freedom – freedom from emergency rule, freedom from the reign of a sole administrator, freedom from arbitrary government when democracy is in place in Nigeria.
When, in March, President Tinubu imposed emergency rule on Rivers State, he had pointed to a breakdown of law and order in the state, which never existed. The President had cited the bombing of an oil pipeline, for instance, and the threat of attacks on government facilities as reason for imposing emergency rule. He had stated: “The latest security reports made available to me show that between yesterday (Monday, March 17, 2025) and today (Tuesday, March 18, 2025) there have been disturbing incidents of vandalisation of pipelines by some militants without the governor taking any action to curtail them. I have, of course, given stern order to the security agencies to ensure safety of lives of the good people of Rivers State and the oil pipelines.”
Even though President Tinubu’s reason for imposition emergency rule in Rivers State flies in the face, it must be admitted that he has the constitutional power to impose emergency rule in any part of the country. However, he, as President of Nigeria, has no power to sack a democratically elected governor or/and a state House of Assembly. There is no provision in the Constitution that expressly or covertly gives the President the power to remove an elected governor from office.
For the avoidance of doubt, Section 305(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) provides that the President can proclaim a state of emergency in any part of the country or in the entire federation, by an instrument published in the Official Gazette, and that this must be approved by the National Assembly within a specified number of days. However, this section defined the conditions upon which this could be done.
In Section 305(3), the Constitution provides that the President may only declare a state of emergency in a state if:
“(a) The governor of the state, with a resolution supported by two-thirds majority of the House of Assembly, requests the President to do so; or (b) There is actual breakdown of public order and public safety requiring extraordinary measures; or
(c) There is a clear and present danger of an actual breakdown of public order and public safety in the Federation or any part thereof; or
(d) There is an occurrence or imminent danger of invasion, war, or insurrection; or
(e) There is a natural disaster or public health emergency; or
(f) There is any other danger threatening the existence of the Federation.”
Before President Tinubu acted last March, the conditions outlined by the Constitution to warrant emergency rule were not manifest. Governor Fubara, for one, never asked him to declare a state of emergency. The House of Assembly never passed a resolution asking the governor to demand a declaration of a state of emergency. The only issue in the state was that 27 lawmakers were having a running battle with the executive arm of government, with fears of the impeachment of Governor Fubara and his deputy. However, there was no actual breakdown of law and order. There was no real threat to security. There was no violence. Everything was speculative and presumptive.
Well, the deed has been done. President Tinubu has had his way. Emergency rule is six months old. The elected governor and members of the House of Assembly have been in limbo for six months. A sole administrator has reigned all this while. The people have lost the benefits of democracy. All these should end. It is now time for democracy to have its way and legitimately so. It is time to end emergency rule in Rivers State. It is time for Governor Fubara and the State House of Assembly to return to office.
By restoring democracy in Rivers State and ensuring the return to office of Governor Fubara and members of the House of Assembly, President Tinubu would be redeeming himself. By ending emergency rule in Rivers State, he would erase the blight of his undemocratic action of removing an elected governor from office.
President Tinubu should lift emergency rule in Rivers State. Doing so, by the middle of next month, would be a step in the right direction. It would restore democratic governance, allow local governments to access funds, reduce tension and promote peace.
President Tinubu should consider the long-term implications of prolonging the emergency rule and prioritize the state’s stability and development. As the state continues to grapple with the challenges of governance, it is essential to put on the front burners the restoration of democratic order. Democracy ensures that power is held accountable and that the government serves the people. Democratic governance promotes stability, which is essential for economic growth and development. Democracy upholds the rule of law, protecting the rights of citizens and promoting justice.
The dismantling of emergency rule in Rivers State would also encourage reconciliation efforts between feuding parties. Governor Fubara and the state lawmakers, who have been out of office for six months, must have learnt their lessons, knowing that continued squabbles would not be beneficial to either party. They would have known by now that it is better to work together and be in government, than to fight and be out of government.
The restoration of democracy in Rivers State would foster dialogue among stakeholders, including former governors, to find a lasting solution to the crisis. It will ensure that democratic institutions are respected and allowed to function without interference. By promoting reconciliation, dialogue and respect for democratic institutions, the state can move forward and provide its citizens with the benefits of democratic governance.
President Tinubu has no other option than to restore democracy in Rivers State by next month. It is his best move, to save face and right his earlier wrong. Continued emergency rule would ensure further mistakes and unconstitutional actions, like the local government elections being organised by a sole administrator, against constitutional provisions.
In the event that common sense does not prevail and President Tinubu tries to extend the arbitrary rule in Rivers State, the National Assembly, which has the final say in the matter, should reject such a move. Democracy and the rule of law must be protected in Nigeria. They are essential components of a well-functioning society.
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