Read full text of Nigeria's justice minister as Tinubu suspends Fubara, deputy governor, announces state of emergency in Rivers state

Legit.ng writer Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has implicit 9 years of acquisition covering authorities and governance successful Nigeria.

Port Harcourt, Rivers authorities - President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency successful Rivers authorities connected Tuesday, March 18, a arguable determination that has raised concerns among galore Nigerians.

Legit.ng reports that the president besides suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his lawman Ngozi Odu, and the state’s lawmakers for six months. The Nigerian person appointed Ibok-Ete Ibas, a retired vice admiral, arsenic the head of the oil-rich authorities during the clip of Fubara's suspension.

Against the backdrop of the developments successful Rivers, the attorney-general of the federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi, connected Wednesday, March 19, spoke to the property astatine a quality league successful Abuja.

Below is the afloat transcript of Fagbemi's code released by the bureau of the peculiar advisor to the president connected accusation and strategy, Bayo Onanuga:

Transcript of the Press Conference connected Wednesday 19 March, 2025 astatine the State House, Abuja by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi

Opening Remarks by Prince Fagbemi:

It’s nary longer quality that the president of the nation, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, yesterday, took the bull by the horns to bash what was required of a statesman, a patriot and a caput of State and commandant successful main of the equipped forces.

The events successful Rivers State started agelong ago, and helium tried to intervene galore times. Apart from that, well-meaning Nigerians, leaders of thought, and acrophobic citizens person besides attempted to settee the substance without immoderate result. The president came retired boldly yesterday to accidental the concern cannot beryllium allowed to continue, a concern successful which the captious economical beingness of the nation, what is giving lifeline to the federation to be, you know, criminally touched without immoderate effect from those who would ordinarily beryllium expected to bash so, cannot continue.

But don't forget, the full happening started oregon crystallised with the judgement of the Supreme Court that was handed down connected the 28th time of February 2025 successful which the Supreme Court, that's the highest tribunal successful the land, made a categorical pronouncement aft making precise profound findings of breaches of the Constitution by the parties involved, peculiarly the politician of Rivers state, concluded that helium was acting similar a despot and that, arsenic the concern is successful Rivers State, determination is nary Government. These are precise superior and precise weighty allegations that lone an irresponsible caput of authorities oregon person volition fold his arms and ignore.

As I said, helium made a precise bold decision. We were each determination erstwhile helium addressed the nationalist and chronicled each the facts from Genesis to Revelation.

So, I'm here. If determination is immoderate question to beryllium asked connected that, past I volition beryllium capable to respond. But earlier then, don't hide that the judgement of the Supreme Court had been wide reported and published successful the papers. So, the President was not a enactment to it, truthful the question of trying to power thing would not arise. And by virtuousness of definite provisions of the Constitution, everybody has a work to guarantee that the judgement of the tribunal is obeyed, peculiarly coming from the highest tribunal successful the land; determination is nary different idiosyncratic to entreaty to. There is nary different assemblage to entreaty to. It's not taxable to immoderate further trial of validity. As things are, we each person a duty, collectively and individually to guarantee that we springiness maximum respect and obedience to the judgement of the Supreme Court.

So, gentlemen, I'm disposable to reply immoderate questions, clarify, oregon marque observations. Thank you.

Q: Did the concern successful Rivers State warrant the declaration of a authorities of emergency? Because immoderate radical accidental the president's determination was hasty?

Let maine commencement connected a enactment of however we got to wherever we are today. How did it each start? That is astir the genesis. We each cognize however we got determination since 2023. Towards the extremity of 2023, things person not been going good to the grade that the politician took the instrumentality into his hands and demolished and brought down the House of Assembly. Don't hide the relation of the House of Assembly. They are the lawmakers. They are to see the budget. They are to, you know, walk the budget. They are besides to beryllium approached successful matters of assignment of commissioners for ratification and each different things. They are to bash oversight functions. So, since that happened, things person not been the aforesaid astatine all.

In a assemblage of 32, you expect that astatine slightest 15 oregon 16 radical volition beryllium determination to bash the job. The governor, arsenic I said, and it is nary longer news, harboured 3 oregon 4 of the members, constituted them to the House of Assembly and gave them preferential treatment, and moved them to the Government House to execute legislative functions. This concern got to the court. There were astir 10, 15, 16 cases, and astatine the extremity of the day, the Supreme Court came retired and made precise profound findings of breaches of the Constitution, chiefly against the governor.

You see, you emergence oregon autumn based connected what you took to tribunal and what tribunal determination is connected it. The tribunal came to the determination that the politician had agelong anticipated, wrongly, that helium mightiness beryllium impeached, and due to the fact that of that, helium knew that the House of Assembly was a captious structure, oregon organ, truthful helium brought down the House of Assembly. 14 months aft that is arsenic astatine yesterday, determination was nary effort to rebuild the House of Assembly.

The authorities stands connected the tripod, the executive, the legislature, and the judiciary, and you person made the functioning of authorities impossible. It is not capable for the executive, to say, we are spending money, adjacent the wealth you privation to walk indispensable person been appropriated for by the House of Assembly. These are immoderate of the findings that the Supreme Court made. And astatine the extremity of the day, the Supreme Court said, oregon came to a decision, that the governor's behaviour was similar a despot, and that arsenic the concern was, determination was nary authorities successful Rivers. If determination was nary authorities successful Rivers, what would we beryllium looking for?

I'm truthful atrocious for bringing successful this issue. In the Bible, they asked Jesus Christ, are You the Son of God? And helium said, Yes. Then others chorused, what further grounds bash we request from this man? So the signifier is set, but nary enactment was taken instantly successful the anticipation oregon anticipation that bully consciousness volition prevail, the politician would make an enabling environment, and that the House of Assembly excessively would beryllium tenable capable to guarantee that the radical of Rivers got a instrumentality for their voting of members of the House of Assembly and the politician and different elected officials to bask dividends of democracy. We are successful a democracy.

So then, determination was what I volition telephone telegraphing of the militants, I volition say, by the governor. And I said truthful erstwhile helium beckoned to them that, oh, helium volition fto them cognize erstwhile it was clip to act, to the militant. Let america accidental it was wrong. Did helium travel retired to disown them? The reply is no. And a week after, they swung into action; you spot oregon witnesser the vandalisation of lipid pipelines.

Don't besides hide that earlier now, that is erstwhile this authorities came into office. Nigeria was producing astir 900,000 barrels of lipid a day. With the efforts and each the ingenuity that the President had, helium ensured that the accumulation roseate to astir 1.5 cardinal barrels per day. That's astir 45% increase; governors were smiling location astatine the extremity of the period with astir 60% summation successful their instrumentality location to their assorted states. Then idiosyncratic roseate oregon encouraged oregon became inactive erstwhile helium was expected to act. There was not a connection dissuading the militants who issued this threat.

In today’s Nigeria, possibly with the efforts of Mr President, Agriculture volition travel in. But arsenic astatine today, we inactive trust mostly connected oil. Anyone who touches these pipelines is not lone the force of Rivers but helium is besides the force of Nigeria. All Nigerians successful each 36 states, stock successful what comes successful from the accumulation of this oil. And I judge that the determination of Mr President is anchored connected the determination of the Supreme Court .

The 2nd 1 is the inability of those involved, some the House of Assembly and the governor, to make an enabling situation for the radical of Rivers to bask the dividends of democracy. The 3rd portion of the bid is astir the information concern successful that place. You know, if the President had waited possibly a time longer, lone God knows what would person followed. And arsenic a result, helium came retired to say, I americium not lone the caput of state, I'm commandant successful main of the equipped forces, and declared a authorities of emergency.

Q: What would you accidental to those who said Mr President’s determination was hasty?

I volition inquire alternatively rhetorically, erstwhile bash you deliberation helium should person acted? When everything has collapsed? No, the instrumentality envisages that you travel successful erstwhile determination is imminent information to the information of lives and property. People were sidesplitting themselves. It's nary longer news. It's not a question of making up the story. We each work papers each day. Those who unrecorded determination are surviving successful fear. So, determination is undoubtedly the request to travel in. We person astir 2 years into the medication successful the state, if helium didn't travel successful now, erstwhile bash you deliberation helium should travel in? Is it erstwhile everything has been destroyed? I don't deliberation so.

The President has acted timeously. He had allowed each the radical involved, the parties involved, to marque amends; earlier then, helium assembled them, helium tried to mediate. Some said helium had nary law powerfulness aft agreeing. And what they agreed to astatine the gathering were not implemented. So, to reply your question, I americium definite that the President has acted timeously aft giving them capable rope, and arsenic the Commander-in-Chief of the equipped forces, it was a pugnacious determination for him to make.

It doesn't contiguous anybody with joy, to disrupt the travel of ideology oregon signifier of it. But the Constitution itself envisages that determination whitethorn beryllium this benignant of situation, and that was wherefore it is provided successful conception 305 of the Constitution that bonzer situations mightiness arise. This is 1 of specified bonzer situations.

Q: People person expressed divergent views astir the suspension of the governor, his lawman and members of the State House of Assembly. How ineligible would you accidental the suspension was?

You see, you determine each lawsuit connected its ain peculiar facts and circumstances. Who are the radical involved? Who are the parties progressive successful this saga? They are the politician and members of the House of Assembly. So, who other should person been affected? I've heard this comic argument. I'm atrocious for saying it. It's comic due to the fact that it doesn't marque immoderate consciousness to me. Oh, that the President should person conscionable gone determination to unafraid the pipelines and past travel backmost erstwhile immoderate radical are determination encouraging vandals to travel in. The enactment of the President, you cognize what happened, is the effect of a cardinal cause, and you cannot beryllium treating the effect to cure the cause. What was the cause? The politician and members of the House of Assembly. So, you person to behave responsibly, and you indispensable person the gut. If it happens again, I volition promote Mr President to bash the same, possibly this clip with adjacent greater vigour and vitality. So, the question of separating, treating, oregon giving preferential attraction to anybody does not arise. If you springiness preferential attraction to anybody, you are giving preferential attraction to hooliganism. Just telephone a spade a spade.

This is wherever I judge that we should enactment up our patriotism cap. It shouldn't beryllium astir individuals. It should not beryllium astir anybody. It should beryllium astir the entity called Nigeria, but successful this case, it is Rivers State. So, it is Rivers State’s crook today, it can beryllium anybody's crook tomorrow. Let the awesome beryllium intelligibly sent for those who privation to foment trouble, who privation to marque the signifier of ideology and enjoyment of ideology a mirage, to deliberation twice.

So, I volition reply the question by saying, I instrumentality resounding nary to the quest that the politician and lawman politician should person been spared, oregon the members of the House of Assembly, they were each successful it.

Q: Would you say, that the declaration of authorities of exigency successful Rivers State was immoderate compromise to prevention the politician and his lawman from impeachment?

It appears so. Don't forget, I deliberation yesterday (Tuesday), determination was a announcement of impeachment from the House of Assembly. If that impeachment had been allowed to instrumentality its afloat course, past the politician would person mislaid wholly and entirely. So, successful a way, if you accidental it's a compromise, I volition hold that alternatively of allowing the impeachment process to continue, and which successful the end, would person seen some the Governor and the lawman politician retired of bureau and would person been retired for the entirety of the four-year word with the remainder of what it we have. We are 1 year, I deliberation astir 9 months now, leaving a equilibrium of 2 years and 3 months. So, if normalcy returns, Fubara Sim whitethorn travel in. But for now, it could beryllium a compromise. I volition agree.

What bash you accidental to radical who consciousness the President has a involvement successful this and helium appears to beryllium playing the playbook of the curate of the FCT, Wike, who appears to beryllium the 1 that is winning successful each this?

About the playbook of the Honourable Minister of Federal Capital Territory. You see, determination are occasions particularly erstwhile it comes to nationalist issues, we person to travel retired plainly and sincerely. Where bash you enactment the Minister of FCT successful this case? Was helium the 1 who asked for the demolition of the House of Assembly? Was helium the 1 who said the politician should not contiguous his fund to the House of Assembly? Was helium the 1 who advised the politician not to spell done the House of Assembly to ratify the commissioner-nominees? I don't know. Because if you privation to look astatine a case, you look astatine the facts presented. The Supreme Court made these captious findings. The FCT curate did not feature. Whatever the situation, assuming helium featured, helium would person featured, possibly connected the broadside of the legislators. But you person is: fto everybody spell location for the archetypal six months. So I don't spot his hands present successful what we have.

Look, I volition promote you to work that judgement of the Supreme Court. There were astir 11 of 12 findings against the governor. What sentiments are we bringing connected this matter? There isn't immoderate sentiment. If the National Assembly feels that the President has not done well, past you won't person the two-thirds bulk required to validate his action. Certainly, you cognize it is similar a concern successful which they veto, veto usually is connected the broadside oregon with Mr President erstwhile a measure is presented. But the converse is the aforesaid here: It is the President who is initiating a move: I privation to state a authorities of emergency. He has to marque that move. He made that wide successful his code and broadcast yesterday that I've made this determination and referred the substance to the National Assembly. It is for the National Assembly to present accidental we veto. That is to say, we don't springiness you approval. And since the National Assembly is inactive successful session, we expect that wrong 48 hours, thing volition travel retired for it.

So, whoever has immoderate misgiving oregon concern, I volition say, should transmission it to the National Assembly to say, don't springiness the required two-third approval. Otherwise, we should all, similar I said, proceed to enactment up our patriotism cap.

Q: When Mr. President was successful the opposition, peculiarly successful 2014, helium criticised the declaration of authorities of exigency by past President Goodluck Jonathan connected 3 states for elections to instrumentality spot owed to information emergencies. What has changed? Did the President explicate to you wherefore his presumption has changed connected declaring the authorities of exigency and suspending an elected governor, his lawman and the full legislature of the state.

About what happened during President Jonathan's period. Don't forget, similar I said, each substance depends connected the peculiar facts and circumstances of the case. You tin state an exigency successful a assortment of ways. It is similar a antheral who is suffering from a disease, they accidental ohio it’s cancerous, they say, oh, I anticipation it has not dispersed to so-so area, past you present excise the information affected. I deliberation that was what happened during President Jonathan’s period. If it’s astir the COVID period, it has its own, Boko Haram has its own. Boko Haram was located oregon confined to a peculiar area. The politician past said delight travel to our aid. But the politician who is astatine the centre of it present has not made immoderate specified petition and it would person been grossly irresponsible for Mr President to fold his arms. So, the concern successful the epoch of erstwhile President Goodluck Jonathan is antithetic from what we person here. What we person present is everybody is involved. You tin workout your rights but don’t forget, determination are ever lines, you don’t transverse them, if you transverse them, past you besides endure the consequences.

Q: With the authorities of emergency, who is going to reconcile them?

The radical themselves, present that this concern has arisen, I believe, volition telephone themselves to order. The President has intervened, 1,2,3, times without immoderate result, and helium alluded to this successful his broadcast, that helium had done his own. Well-meaning Nigerians person done their ain to nary avail, and that was wherefore helium had to travel retired and marque the determination that helium took yesterday. So, the radical are near to let bully consciousness to prevail, truthful it is near to them to determine what they want, whether they privation reconciliation oregon a continuation of the disfigured situation.

Q: Are we going to spot FCT Minister playing a relation successful this reconciliation journey?

That volition beryllium an matter of the radical of Rivers State, if they want. They tin telephone him. If helium likes, helium tin telephone them. But I guarantee you that with this situation, a level has been created for them to travel unneurotic successful the involvement of the bully radical of Rivers State who person voted to person dividends of democracy.

Q: The NBA argued that the governmental situation successful Rivers State does not warrant the exigency rule. What's your absorption to that nation?

When you speech of a authorities of emergency, it is an bonzer situation, demanding the suspension oregon putting successful abeyance the mean concern that would person been. Normally you let the legislature, the enforcement and the judiciary to proceed to function. But similar I said, conception 305 envisaged that determination mightiness beryllium a concern successful which bonzer matters oregon events volition travel up which volition necessitate suspending the mean rights oregon privileges of those who are involved, and that is wherefore the justification for suspension of the radical progressive comes in.

I don't spot however you would person spared the politician and the legislature, they are some involved. Things are not moving successful Rivers. So, the justification is those who brought this to be, who caused this indispensable beryllium shown successful wide presumption that you don't bash it and get distant with it. There indispensable beryllium consequences for our action. If conception 305 were to beryllium absent, past you tin beryllium talking of what justification bash you have. But conception 305 intelligibly spells retired conditions successful which the government, the President, volition travel retired and say, I americium suspending the mean cognition of things. In times of warfare betwixt Nigeria and different country, God forbid, that tin travel in. In different situations, yes, and you expect the politician to marque supplication to Mr President, to accidental the concern I person successful my authorities is specified that we request you to travel in, and that was wherefore the President alluded to this successful his broadcast. He said, the politician had failed to marque the request, and I, arsenic the President, person assessed the situation. I judge that a authorities of exigency should travel in. A authorities of exigency presupposes the suspension of mean rights and privileges that you enjoy.

Q: Will the seized funds beryllium released to the Rivers State Sole Administrator?

An bonzer concern has arisen successful Rivers State. When the head comes, helium whitethorn petition for these funds, and to me, it volition beryllium successful bid for the merchandise of that fund, due to the fact that the bonzer concern has brought them retired of the mean concern of things.

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Source: Legit.ng