Kogi Senator Defends Tinubu’s Emergency Rule in Rivers, Justifies Suspension of Political Leaders

 

The Senator representing Kogi West, Sunday Karimi, has stirred controversy by declaring that President Bola Tinubu acted swiftly and correctly in declaring a state of emergency in Rivers State.

 

In a statement issued on Friday in Lokoja, Karimi insisted that suspending political actors from both factions was necessary to ease tensions and prevent further chaos. He argued that Tinubu’s move was in line with the constitution and aimed at protecting Nigeria’s economy and stability.

 

“No responsible government would sit back and watch a political crisis escalate to the point where security threats, including pipeline bombings, emerge,” Karimi stated.

 

Defending the President’s intervention, he recalled Tinubu’s previous attempts to mediate between FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara. Despite an eight-point peace agenda, tensions continued to rise, leading to what he described as an inevitable crackdown.

 

Karimi also pointed to the Supreme Court’s ruling, which favored the 27 lawmakers loyal to Wike, as a turning point that further destabilized the state. With impeachment looming over Fubara, Karimi suggested that without intervention, Rivers State could have spiraled into further destruction and bloodshed.

 

Critics, however, have slammed the decision as an authoritarian move that undermines democracy, raising concerns over political interference and the erosion of state autonomy.