Two prominent voices, Chief Okoi Obono-Obla, lawyer, APC chieftain and former presidential aide, and Justice Osai Ahiakwo, clergyman and public commentator, have offered sharply contrasting perspectives on the expiration of the six-month state of emergency in Rivers State and the political prospects of suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Speaking separately in Calabar on Monday, Obono-Obla described the federal intervention as both constitutional and timely, insisting it was needed to restore order and stability.
“Extraordinary times demand extraordinary measures. Six months was sufficient to cleanse the Augean stable in Rivers,” he said.
He further argued that suspending both the governor and the state assembly, while installing a sole administrator, were legitimate corrective steps.
“It was not an attack on democracy but a safeguard. The governor now has an opportunity to return humbled, reconciled, and better prepared to serve,” Obono-Obla added.
Justice Ahiakwo, however, strongly disagreed, warning that the measure had inflicted more damage than it cured.
“Rather than bring peace, emergency rule was weaponized to hijack Rivers’ resources and weaken the elected governor,” he said.
He condemned the use of constitutional powers under Section 305, saying it amounted to a dangerous political manipulation.
“My heart bleeds at the abuse of Section 305. It left the state on autopilot and the people in suffering. This was not about security but a political coup a precedent that undermines the people’s mandate,” Ahiakwo argued.
While Obono-Obla views the end of the emergency as a window for Governor Fubara to reconcile and rebuild, Ahiakwo maintains that the intervention has left deep scars that will shape Rivers politics long after the emergency rule has lapsed.
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