Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, on Thursday, called on political actors in Rivers State to draw lessons from the six-month emergency rule imposed earlier this year.
Obi described the intervention as a constitutional breach that undermined Nigeria’s democracy.
He urged Governor Siminalayi Fubara, state lawmakers, and other leaders to acknowledge mistakes, embrace peace, and work toward reconciliation.
AFRIPOST had reported that President Bola Tinubu had declared a state of emergency in Rivers State on March 18, 2025, suspending Governor Fubara and Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu for six months and appointing Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Bias (retd.) as Sole Administrator.
The president had invoked his powers under Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution.
The emergency rule was suspended on Wednesday, with the administration citing intelligence reports of “a groundswell of a new spirit of understanding.”
Reacting on his X handle, Obi argued that the suspension breached Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution, which allows such powers only in cases of grave threats to public safety or national security.
The former Anambra Governor added that the episode offered important lessons for political gladiators in the state.
He said, “I just hope that some lessons were learned by all the gladiators in the Rivers State impasse. Great minds remind us that the only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.
“A true leader is the one who admits his/her mistakes, is smart enough to learn from them, and is strong enough to correct them.”
Obi also congratulated “the good people of Rivers State for their endurance in the face of provocations.”
He appealed to Governor Fubara, members of the state House of Assembly, and all political leaders to embrace peace and forge ahead.
“The real mistake is the one where we end up learning nothing. Be assured that a new Nigeria is possible and inevitable,” he added.
The controversy in Rivers State stems from a bitter power struggle between Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory. The feud triggered governance paralysis, mass defections in the state assembly, and allegations of corruption and political sabotage.