Former President Goodluck Jonathan is reportedly spearheading discreet efforts to secure the reinstatement of suspended Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, ahead of the upcoming June 12 Democracy Day celebrations.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

According to reliable sources cited by Vanguard, Jonathan has already held at least one private phone call with President Bola Tinubu, urging him to reinstate Fubara in the spirit of national reconciliation and democratic integrity.

“This push isn’t just from Jonathan—two other former presidents have also voiced concern,” a source familiar with the matter disclosed.

Fubara’s two recent visits to the Presidential Villa were said to have been facilitated by influential political actors, including Jonathan himself, all working quietly to reverse the controversial suspension.

“The president’s current posture suggests that Fubara might be reinstated sooner than the initial six-month timeline announced in March,” another source revealed.

President Tinubu is expected to address the nation on June 12, marking 26 years of uninterrupted democratic governance since the country’s return to civilian rule in 1999.

It will be recalled that on March 18, Tinubu announced a six-month suspension of Governor Fubara, a move that sparked widespread outrage and was widely criticized as unconstitutional. Legal analysts and opposition voices argued that the Nigerian Constitution does not empower the president to suspend or remove an elected state governor, except under a state of emergency.

Critics referenced Section 305, which allows the president to declare a state of emergency without unseating the governor, and Section 188, which exclusively empowers the State House of Assembly to initiate removal proceedings.

Despite these arguments, the president’s decision—later endorsed by the National Assembly—also saw the suspension of Fubara’s deputy and several state lawmakers, many of whom were loyal to former Governor Nyesom Wike, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.

Fubara’s removal was seen as the climax of a fierce political rift between him and Wike over the control of the PDP structure in Rivers State and key government appointments.

There had been speculation that Tinubu might lift the suspension during his May 29 address marking his administration’s second year in office, but no such announcement was made. Now, attention has shifted to June 12, with expectations of a symbolic gesture on Democracy Day.

As Nigerians prepare to honour the memory of pro-democracy icons like Chief MKO Abiola, Kudirat Abiola, General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, and Pa Alfred Rewane, questions persist about the state of democratic governance in Rivers State.

Tinubu himself, a veteran of Nigeria’s democratic struggle, stated during his 2023 Democracy Day speech:

“No matter its imperfections, democracy remains the best form of governance. As president, I am both morally and constitutionally bound to preserve it. I will do all I can to protect your rights, freedoms, and liberties.”

Observers now argue that this promise is being put to the test, as emergency rule remains in force in Rivers State, where Vice Admiral Ibok-Etteh Ibas (retd.) has served as sole administrator since March 18.

By June 18, Ibas would have been in charge for three months, sidelining the state’s elected leadership. Unless reversed, the emergency administration is set to last until September.

Now, pressure is mounting on President Tinubu to demonstrate that his government will not repeat the same anti-democratic practices that pro-democracy heroes once gave their lives to end.

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