2 weeks Ago By Boma Achenimie
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Accuses FG Of Double Standards Siminalayi Fubara, the suspended Governor of Rivers State , has faulted the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) over the handling of the anti-emergency rule protesters in Ahoada East, describing the action as a clear case of double standards and an assault on the democratic rights of citizens. New Telegraph had earlier reported that protests erupted in two locations. While women supporters of the emergency rule marched peacefully in Port Harcourt under the aegis of Rivers Women for Peace and Good Governance, a separate group in Ahoada East, demanding the reinstatement of Fubara, was dispersed with tear gas by security operatives.
Reacting to the incident, the Special Adviser to Governor Fubara on Electronic Media, Jerry Omatsogunwa, condemned the police for allegedly attacking elderly women who were part of the Ahoada protest. He accused security forces of applying “Two standards for the same activity,” adding that the Ahoada women “are the true heroes of democracy.” Videos from the protest site showed the women, some on their knees, tearfully chanting, “We want Fubara, we want peace,” as they called for the return of the embattled governor.
READ ALSO: “Old women came out in Ahoada to exercise their right to protest, only to be met with tear gas from the police. One of them, an elderly woman, fainted,” Omatsogunwa said. In contrast, the Port Harcourt rally, which marched from Garrison Junction to Isaac Park, was peaceful.
The demonstrators carried placards with inscriptions such as “Emergency Rule is Constitutional” and “Investigate Fubara’s Bloated Contracts.” Speaking during the Port Harcourt protest, a former Commissioner for Social Welfare, Mrs. Inime Aguma, commended President Tinubu for imposing emergency rule in the state.
“We thank the President for intervening. Rivers’ democratic structure was decimated. The House of Assembly was paralyzed and the state was on the brink.
The appointment of the sole administrator has brought governance and stability,” Aguma said. But in his reaction, Omatsogunwa dismissed the pro-emergency rule demonstration, accusing the sole administrator of harboring political ambitions beyond his current assignment. “The whole world should keep an eye on the state Commissioner of Police and the sole administrator.
What is happening is nothing short of political persecution,” he stated. Rivers State has remained on edge since President Tinubu suspended Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and the State House of Assembly following months of political unrest involving the governor and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. The emergency declaration, which was endorsed by the National Assembly, is already facing legal challenges from 11 governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
It was learnt that the governors have engaged top legal luminaries to take the matter to the Supreme Court, even as the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), is expected to file a formal response on behalf of the Federal Government. As the political standoff lingers, calls for calm, constitutional order, and the protection of democratic institutions have continued to echo across the state. Fubara’s criticism comes amid mounting tension in Rivers following the declaration of a state of emergency by President Bola Tinubu and the subsequent appointment of Vice Admiral Ibok-Ette Ibas (retd.
) as the sole administrator of the state..
