Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has condemned the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, describing it as a politically motivated move and a failure of leadership by President Bola Tinubu.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Atiku accused Tinubu of being a key player in the ongoing political crisis in Rivers, alleging that the president either deliberately allowed the situation to escalate or failed to act to prevent it.
“Anyone paying attention to the unfolding crisis knows that Bola Tinubu has been a vested partisan actor in the political turmoil engulfing Rivers. His blatant refusal—or calculated negligence—in preventing this escalation is nothing short of disgraceful,” Atiku said.
The former vice president also linked the security breaches in the state, which led to the destruction of federal infrastructure, to Tinubu’s leadership, insisting that the president cannot evade responsibility.
“It is an unforgivable failure that under Tinubu’s watch, the Niger Delta has been thrown back into an era of violent unrest and instability—undoing the hard-won peace secured by the late President Umaru Yar’Adua,” he added.
Atiku further criticized the federal government’s response, stating that punishing the people of Rivers State for political conflicts between the governor and Tinubu’s allies is an “assault on democracy” that must be condemned.
The statement comes amid growing concerns over the deteriorating political and security situation in Rivers, which has sparked debates over federal intervention and the balance of power in the state.
