Fubara accused of sponsoring anti-Tinubu campaign over Rivers emergency rule

A coalition group has accused the suspended Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, of orchestrating a campaign of calumny against President Bola Tinubu as revenge for the declaration of emergency rule in the state.

The Coalition for Justice and Democracy (CJD) made the allegation in a strongly worded statement issued and signed by its president, Comrade Raymond Aighona, on Wednesday, August 20, 2025.

The coalition also alleged that Fubara was behind the circulation of a document on social media that falsely accused the Sole Administrator of Rivers, Ibok-Eket Ibas, of mismanaging half a trillion naira and inflating contracts under the guise of funding President Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.

While it dismissed the allegations as “baseless blackmail,” CJD insisted that Ibas had acted within the limits of the emergency powers granted him and under the constant oversight of committees set up by both chambers of the National Assembly to monitor Rivers during the emergency rule.

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“Siminalayi Fubara has chosen the path of bitterness and deceit. He has not forgiven President Tinubu for saving Rivers State from total political anarchy through the declaration of emergency rule. Now, in an act of reckless vengeance, he is sponsoring falsehoods, pushing forged documents, and trying to smear the reputation of the President and the sole administrator. These antics will not succeed,” the statement said.

The body stated that after conducting an independent check, it found no evidence to support the claims of financial recklessness being circulated online against Ibas.

“Every action of the Sole Administrator is monitored by oversight committees from both the Senate and the House of Representatives. His expenditures are scrutinised and subjected to due process. For anyone to claim that he single-handedly pulled out half a trillion naira from the coffers of Rivers State is not only laughable but deliberately mischievous,” the group added.

According to the CJD, the social media document bore “all the fingerprints of Fubara’s political desperation,” describing the development as a forged narrative manufactured by those who lost relevance under the emergency rule.

"Fubara is the unseen hand behind these malicious reports. He hopes to poison the minds of Rivers people against President Tinubu and to discredit Ibas, whose steady leadership has restored calm and order to the state,” Aighona alleged.

The group further warned that such “propaganda politics” could inflame tensions and destabilise Rivers if not exposed for what it truly is.

It described the suspended governor's alleged action as reckless and dangerous, accusing him of weaponising lies, sowing distrust, and dragging the President’s name into his vendetta.

The CJD praised the Sole Administrator for what it described as “disciplined and transparent stewardship” since his appointment, stressing that he has not gone beyond his authority.

It called on security agencies to investigate the origin of the circulating document and to expose those behind the “malicious forgery.”

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The coalition also urged the Nigerian public to treat such reports with contempt, stressing that the claims were designed to smear the President and destabilise Rivers and reaffirmed its support for the emergency measures in Rivers.

Aighona insisted that the intervention had prevented total collapse and restored a measure of peace and governance to the state.