Rivers Won’t Abandon Tinubu Over Emergency Rule, Arise Insists

Former Ekiti North Senator and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ayodele Arise, has dismissed fears that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s decision to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State could undermine his electoral fortunes in the state come 2027.

Arise, who spoke with reporters in Abuja yesterday, maintained that Rivers people would still rally behind the president, stressing that the intervention was taken in the national interest to forestall a breakdown of law and order.

In 2025, President Tinubu declared a six-month emergency rule in Rivers following rising political tension. Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu and members of the House of Assembly were suspended, while former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd), was appointed sole administrator. The suspension was lifted after the expiration of the proclamation, and the elected officials were reinstated.

Arise justified the move, saying it restored order in a state critical to the nation’s economy.

“By and large, we have to thank Mr President for taking the decision he took. The situation in Rivers State at the time was almost getting out of hand. The intervention was necessary to restore order and safeguard critical national assets,” he said.

The APC stalwart underscored Rivers’ place in the oil and gas sector, describing peace in the region as non-negotiable.

“You cannot allow instability to fester in such a strategic state where oil and gas installations are concentrated. The steps taken by Mr President saved the country from bigger trouble,” he explained.

On the political implication, he waved aside suggestions that Tinubu had lost ground in Rivers, saying the APC had strengthened its grassroots presence.

“Some people are saying the president has lost Rivers politically because of the emergency rule. I don’t share that view. Rivers people will still vote for President Tinubu in 2027. The APC has strengthened its grassroots structures in the state, and we saw the results in the last presidential and even local government elections,” Arise stated.

He further acknowledged the roles of Governor Fubara and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, in stabilising the state ahead of 2027.

“Both Governor Fubara and Minister Wike have their roles to play. They are key stakeholders, and their influence at the grassroots cannot be underestimated. They will be instrumental in delivering peace and stability in Rivers, which is vital for the next elections,” he added.

Arise insisted that history would remember Tinubu positively for putting national stability above politics, stressing that the president’s decision was a case of “country first.”