Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has described the suspension of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, as illegal, insisting that there is “nothing to celebrate” in his reinstatement by President Bola Tinubu.

Atiku, in a statement shared on his official Facebook page on Thursday, argued that the president lacked constitutional authority to suspend a democratically elected governor or state lawmakers. He stressed that such actions undermine Nigeria’s democracy.

Recall that in March 2025, President Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State following a prolonged political crisis. This led to the suspension of Governor Fubara, his deputy, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for six months. On Wednesday, the president lifted the suspension and reinstated them.

However, Atiku maintained that the move remained unlawful. According to him, “The suspension of the Rivers State Governor and the State House of Assembly was unconstitutional when it was done six months ago and is still illegal today. President Tinubu had no power to suspend a democratically elected governor and state lawmakers. The Rivers episode only shows the dictatorship tendencies of the current administration.”