Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, along with several prominent members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), has officially launched a coalition aimed at challenging President Bola Tinubu in the upcoming 2027 general election.

Naija News reports that the press conference, held on Thursday, saw a strong showing of key opposition figures, including Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi, who was represented by Yunusa Tanko.

Other significant personalities in attendance included former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal; former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai; National Secretary of the Coalition of United Political Parties, Peter Ahmeh; and Convenor of the Alternative, Segun Showunmi, among others.

Among the key figures who were unable to attend but whose apologies were announced were former Governors Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, and the immediate past National Chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Adamu. Despite their absence, their support for the coalition’s cause was acknowledged.

This was confirmed by Atiku, who read the text of a Press Conference addressed by a cross-section of leaders and political stakeholders from across the country, in Abuja, on Thursday.

Atiku, in response to a question whether the gathering was to kick start a coalition to oust Tinubu in 2007, the former Vice President said, “Yes, this is the birth of the coalition of opposition ahead of 2027.”

Earlier, while addressing the press conference, Atiku and his partners called on Nigerians especially members of the National Assembly to reject President Bola Tinubu’s unconstitutional declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State.

Atiku said, “We have come together to address the dangerous and unconstitutional actions taken by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, on March 18, 2025-to wit, the declaration of a State of Emergency in Rivers State and the illegal suspension of the democratically elected Governor, Deputy Governor, and the State House of Assembly.

“This action is not only unlawful but also a clear subversion of democracy and imposition of autocratic federal control over a duly elected state government.

“We strongly condemn this development and call on all Nigerians of good conscience to resist this brazen assault on the constitution of our country and the institutions of our democracy.

“Mr President’s illegal and unconstitutional proclamation was presumably driven by the protracted insidious political crisis in Rivers State, which culminated in the recent ruling of the Supreme Court.

“Naturally, we expected all parties to the dispute to follow laid-down procedures, and in good faith, to promptly implement the judgment of the highest court of the land.

“We note that despite provocative statements and belligerent attitude of his opponents, Governor Fubara had demonstrated goodwill and appeared disposed to the implementation of the ruling of the Supreme Court.

“However, rather than rise above the fray, the president yielded to petty favouritism and betrayed the oath that he solemnly swore to before God and man, which was to ‘do right to all manner of people, according to law, without fear or favour, affection or ill-will.

“If president Tinubu had conveniently disguised his true intentions in the past, his broadcast to the nation on 18th March 2025 betrayed his bias and fell far below the standard of comportment expected from his exalted office.”

Niger Delta activist, Anabs Sara-Igbe, has raised alarm over the disappearance of Siminalayi Fubara, the suspended Governor of Rivers State, after he was removed from office by President Bola Tinubu on March 18, 2025.

Naija News reports that Sara-Igbe expressed deep concern during an appearance on Arise Television’s The Morning Show on Thursday, March 20, 2025, claiming that the governor has not been seen or heard from since his suspension.

On Tuesday, March 18, President Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State due to escalating political unrest, leading to the suspension of Governor Fubara, his deputy, Mrs. Ngozi Odu, and all members of the state House of Assembly.

Following the president’s declaration, Fubara, his family, and his security team vacated the Rivers State Government House.

However, according to Sara-Igbe, there has been no communication or sighting of the suspended governor since his removal. He stressed that this situation is causing growing worry among the people of Rivers State.

“We have not seen Fubara, and nobody has communicated with him. We don’t know what has happened to him or where he is. His life is in danger. We have tried to reach out to him, but we cannot get in touch. All Nigerians need to know that Fubara’s life is in danger,” Sara-Igbe stated.

He further emphasized that the people of Rivers State are deeply concerned, as there has been no official update or any confirmation of Fubara’s whereabouts.

Sara-Igbe continued, “Until we see Fubara speak face-to-face or on television, we have not seen him. We haven’t heard from him. He was locked up in the government house, and now that he’s been released, where to? We don’t know. This is a war against Rivers State, not just against Fubara.”

The activist called on Nigerians to protest against what he described as the “illegal suspension” of Fubara, warning that allowing such actions to go unchecked could set a dangerous precedent across the country.

He urged Nigerians to take a stand, saying, “If Nigerians keep quiet and allow this to happen, it will happen in other places.”

The House of Representatives has approved the declaration of a state of emergency for Rivers State.
Naija News reports that the lawmakers also approved the six-month suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his Deputy Ngozi Odu and all elected members of the assembly, as announced by President Tinubu.

The House of Representatives on Thursday debated on the state of emergency declared by President Bola Tinubu in Rivers.

At the commencement of the debate on Thursday, a rep member demanded a head count of members present in the session to ensure that two-thirds necessary to form a quorum were present in the House.

However, the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, ruled that the attendance register would be used instead of going for a head count.

“I want the house to note that today’s plenary is being attended by 243 members based on our attendance register. Just for the record, we’ve more than satisfied the requirement for this particular amendment,” the Speaker said.

Naija News reports that the Green Chamber has adjourned until next Tuesday.

JUMPING FENCES

When the house convened to deliberate on Jonathan’s request, the session was anything but routine, and the entrance to the National Assembly Complex was fortified.

Security agents had blocked lawmakers from accessing the chamber, forcing some, including Aminu Tambuwal, the house speaker, to scale the fence of the complex into the chamber.

Once inside, the mood was tense. Lawmakers from the north-east were vocal in their opposition, with other lawmakers arguing that the emergency rule had exacerbated the insecurity in the region.

Police fired tear gas into the chamber following a clash with at least 200 supporters of Tambuwal who had been prevented from entering the building to vote.

HURDLE BEFORE TINUBU IN N’ASSEMBLY

On March 18, 2025, President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers following the protracted political crisis in the south-south state.

Tinubu also suspended Siminalayi Fubara, governor of the state, Ngozi Odu, his deputy, and all house of assembly members for six months.

For the emergency rule to take effect, section 305 (2) of the constitution states that the president must transmit the proclamation to the senate president and the speaker of the house of representatives.

There is a raging debate on where the president derived the power to suspend an elected governor as this is not expressly provided for in the 1999 constitution.

With 360 members in the green chamber and 109 in the red chamber, Tinubu needs at least 240 votes in the house of reps and 73 in the senate for his proclamation to stand.

On the contrary, it takes only 36 senators to defeat the proclamation.

Even if the senate passes it, 121 reps can vote it down.

Sources in the national assembly told TheCable that the president’s foot soldiers are struggling to get the numbers required for the Rivers emergency rule.

The Oyo state government has withdrawn the criminal case against Oriyomi Hamzat, Naomi Silekunola and Fasasi Abdullahi Fasasi over the fatal stampede at Islamic High School Bashorun in December 2024.

Abiodun Aikomo, commissioner of justice and attorney-general of Oyo, confirmed the development on Wednesday while addressing journalists after the ruling.

The Ibadan high court struck out the case after it was withdrawn by the attorney-general.

Hamzat, CEO of Agidigbo FM, Silekunola, ex-wife of the Ooni of Ife; and Abdullahi, principal of the Islamic High School, were standing trial for their alleged roles in a stampede at a funfair in Ibadan in December, which claimed the lives of over 30 people, most of whom were children.

They were initially remanded at the Agodi correctional facility and were granted bail on January 14 in the sum of N10 million and two sureties in like sum.

In January, the state government filed an 18-count criminal charge, including conspiracy to commit murder, manslaughter, criminal negligence, and other related charges against the trio.

Speaking after the court session, Aikomo said the state decided to withdraw the case as the suspects showed empathy and compassion.

“It was an unfortunate incident that led to the death of many. And you see, in law, whenever death occurs in circumstances that are not natural, the law will take its course. So the state responded by filing charges against the persons implicated in the investigation,” Aikomo said.

“In the course of doing that, we actually wanted to prosecute but the affected persons showed empathy. They showed compassion. And as far as human beings can do, they try to persuade the feelings of the affected parties.

“And the circumstance, we felt, the essence of prosecution is not to kill people or persecute them.

“It is in the interest of justice to discontinue these charges, and that is what happened today. So we withdrew the charge and it was struck out by the court. There is no charge against them again, so they are free.”

OUT-OF-COURT SETTLEMENT

Also speaking, Abdulwaheed Olajide, counsel to Fasasi, said the families of the victims and the defendants reached an agreement to settle the matter out of court.

“The good thing is that the defendants as well as the state met and considered wider implication of the case and decided to put a stop to it so that it will not send a wrong signal to the larger society because if the crisis is allowed to persist, you will discover that men of goodwill will be running away from Oyo state. Just to run away from such, the two sides decided to find an amicable solution,” Olajide said.

“They were brought into the picture, they were appealed to and they were made to understand that this is a thing that happened as a result of an accident which can happen anytime.

“It is beyond human control. So they agreed with us… and we said we can still go ahead and show empathy to the families of the deceased.

“The state appreciated that and in consequence decided to withdraw the charges against the defendants.

“We thank God, we all went to the river and we came back with our pots full of water to quench the thirst of each and every one of us.”

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar says Nigerians should stand up and defend the country’s democracy by resisting the state of emergency declared in Rivers state by President Bola Tinubu. 

The former vice-president spoke in Abuja on Thursday at a press conference of concerned political leaders.

He said it is not only the responsibility of the opposition parties to defend democracy but the duty of everyone to reject the “brazen assault” on the elected government in Rivers.

On Tuesday, Tinubu, in a nationwide broadcast declared a state of emergency in Rivers, citing the protracted political crisis in the state.

The president suspended Siminalayi Fubara, the governor of Rivers, his deputy and the state house of assembly.

He also appointed a sole administrator for the state.

Abubakar said Tinubu must immediately reverse the emergency rule and reinstate the governor, his deputy and the house of assembly.

“We call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately revoke this unconstitutional proclamation and reinstate the elected governor, deputy governor, and state assembly of Rivers state,” he said.

“We call on patriotic Senators and Representatives to vote against this illegal action when it comes before them for approval. The National Assembly must stand on the right side of history and not allow itself to be used to legitimise an unconstitutional power grab.

“We urge the judiciary to act swiftly in striking down this proclamation, as it sets a dangerous precedent that could be used to arbitrarily remove any Governor in the future.

“We call on all civil society organisations, political groups, and Nigerians of good conscience to stand firm in the defence of this democracy that we have all toiled to build. Rivers State is not a conquered territory, and Nigeria is not a dictatorship requiring the replacement of an ELECTED GOVERNOR with a MILITARY ADMINISTRATOR.

“We recall that even when a previous administration had declared a state of emergency in parts of the country bedevilled by insurgency and acts of terrorism, the governors of the concerned states were not removed from office as this administration has done. This action, by President Tinubu therefore represents a new low for our country.

“The historical unrest in the Niger Delta should not be forgotten so soon. Past administrations had made great efforts and sacrifices to restore peace and stability to the Niger Delta, which is critical to the economic health and stability of Nigeria itself. This federal government should not manufacture political crises that could disrupt the fragile stability and return the country to the past that we have all prayed to leave behind for good.

“We must never allow personal political interests and the desire to hold on to power at all costs to throw the country into unavoidable chaos through brazen subversion of the principles of federalism, democracy, and constitutional governance. This is not just about Rivers State it is about the future of Nigeria’s democracy.”

In attendance at the press briefing were Nasir el-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna, Babachir Lawal, former secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), Emeka Ihedioha, former governor of Imo, among others.

The south-south governors’ forum has urged President Bola Tinubu to rescind his emergency rule declaration in Rivers state. 

In a statement, the group argued that the political crisis in the state does not justify the proclamation of a state of emergency.

On Tuesday, President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers over the protracted crisis.

He also suspended Siminalayi Fubara, governor of the state; Ngozi Odu, his deputy; and members of the house of assembly.

In a statement signed by Douye Diri, governor of Bayelsa and forum chairman, the governors said the suspension of elected officials in Rivers was a drastic measure.

They acknowledged the constitutional role of the president in maintaining law and order but implored that the constitutional role of governors to ensure peace and stability in their states be respected.

“The south-south Governors’ Forum expresses concern that the current political situation in Rivers state does not satisfy the criteria for declaring a state of emergency as outlined in Section 305(3) of the Nigerian Constitution (as amended),” the statement reads.

“This section suggests that such a declaration should be considered under specific conditions like war, external aggression, imminent invasion, breakdown of public order, existential threats to Nigeria, natural disasters, or other significant public dangers.”

The forum said the constitution provides clear procedures for the removal of elected officials.

“It is also worth noting that the constitution outlines specific procedures for the removal of a governor and deputy governor, as detailed in Section 188, and similar provisions exist for the removal of members of the house of assembly and the dissolution of parliament. In the current situation, it appears that these guidelines might not have been fully considered,” they added.

“We believe that the political disputes in Rivers State between the governor and the house of assembly should, ideally, be resolved through legal and constitutional means, rather than by executive fiat.”

The governors proposed an immediate end to the emergency rule as a step towards lasting peace and called on all parties to respect the constitution.

Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is wrong to have suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State and Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu.

Recalls that in a nationwide broadcast on Tuesday, Tinubu had declared a State of Emergency in Rivers State and suspended all elected officials for six months.

Reacting in a statement he personally released on Wednesday night, El-Rufai pointed out that the Nigerian Constitution does not support the suspension of a governor by the president.

According to him, it is dangerous to our system of democratic federalism for an elected president to assume and exercise powers to suspend elected officials at the State level.

The former governor said a state of emergency could surely have been proclaimed to grant the relevant security agencies the extraordinary powers and necessary resources to enable them to address insecurity in Rivers but extending such an emergency regime to include the dismantling of democratic structures is a wanton aggression against democratic tenets and the rule of law.

El-Rufai’s statement read: “There are things that are so clearly wrong that the justifications summoned in their defence fall flat. The decision of Mr. President to suspend the elected officials of the Rivers State Government is one of those. Our country’s Constitution does not support it precisely because it is dangerous to our system of democratic federalism for an elected president to assume and exercise powers to suspend elected officials at the State level. The responsibilities of a president are heavy and extensive, but they are constrained by the Constitution and the law and certainly do not include firing persons who were elected.

“The security issues cited in the President’s speech surely deserve the most serious attention and sustained efforts to contain the threats and preserve vital national infrastructure. That is a duty that we ought to vigorously support the security agencies to successfully discharge. A state of emergency could surely have been proclaimed to grant the relevant security agencies the extraordinary powers and necessary resources to enable them to address the problem. Extending the provisions of such an emergency regime to include the dismantling of democratic structures is a wanton aggression against democratic tenets and the rule of law. The Supreme Court has conclusively declared the suspension of elected officials unlawful in the Dariye vs.Attorney General of the Federation.

“It is my view that Mr. President should review this decision and return to the path of constitutionalism and the rule of law. As an opposition figure, Senator Bola Tinubu had made his voice heard against the decision of then President Goodluck Jonathan to declare a state of emergency in the North-East, even when that decision did not extend to the suspension of elected officials and institutions. A similar reconsideration is warranted in this case to contain the damage done to the people of Rivers State, and restore the Federal Government to compliance with the Constitution.

“Let us not keep silent while the slippery slope of replicating the events of emergency rule in the old Western Region in 1962 unfold before our very eyes. I appeal to all patriots and voices of reason to join in calling an end to this gross violation of the Constitution and disrespect for the rule of law.”

President Bola Tinubu is facing an uphill battle in his bid to secure two-thirds majority in the national assembly to approve his declaration of emergency rule in Rivers state, TheCable can report.

On Tuesday, Tinubu declared a state of emergency in the south-south state, citing the protracted political crisis.

The president controversially suspended Siminalayi Fubara, governor of the state, Ngozi Odu, his deputy, and all house assembly members for six months.

Tinubu nominated Ibok-Ete Ibas, a retired vice-admiral and former chief of naval staff, as the administrator.

For the emergency rule to take effect, section 305 (2) of the constitution states that the president must transmit the proclamation to the senate president and the speaker of the house of representatives.

There is a raging debate on where the president derived the power to suspend an elected governor from as this is not expressly provided for in the 1999 constitution.

There is also no provision for the appointment of an administrator in the constitution, although President Olusegun Obasanjo set the disputed precedent.

TWO-THIRDS ROADBLOCK

Section 305 (6) stipulates that a “proclamation issued by the President under this section shall cease to have effect (b) if it affects the Federation or any part thereof and within two days when the National Assembly is in session, or within ten days when the National Assembly is not in session, after its publication, there is no resolution supported by two-thirds majority of all the members of each House of the National Assembly approving the proclamation.”

With 360 members in the green chamber and 109 in the red chamber, Tinubu needs at least 240 votes in the house of reps and 73 in the senate for his proclamation to stand.

On the contrary, it takes only 36 senators to defeat the proclamation.

Even if the senate passes it, 121 reps can vote it down.

Sources in the national assembly told TheCable that the president’s foot soldiers are struggling to get the numbers.

Owing to the insufficient numbers, the senate on Wednesday deferred the motion to Thursday.

Sources say many lawmakers remain unconvinced about the necessity and legality of Tinubu’s action which they believe could set a dangerous precedent.

An insider said lawmakers are divided along party lines, with opposition members and even some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) wary of endorsing the emergency rule.

If the president fails to secure the two-thirds majority in both chambers to approve the emergency rule by Thursday as stipulated in the constitution, Tinubu will be forced to revoke his proclamation, effectively restoring Fubara and his administration.

QUORUM QUAGMIRE

Another major challenge, some lawmakers told TheCable, is that both the senate and house of reps are struggling to form a quorum because many members are out of the country.

A significant number of the lawmakers are in Saudi Arabia observing the lesser hajj and Ramadan fasting.

The quorum for senate is 37 while that of the house is 120.

“Even if we manage to form a quorum, the constitution says the vote shall involve all members — meaning 109 in the senate and 360 in the house,” a member of the house of reps told TheCable.

The leaders of the national assembly were collecting signatures on Wednesday night so that members can vote in absentia — but some lawmakers have pointed out that it will be unconstitutional.

Section 305 (2) of the 1999 constitution stipulates that president of the senate and the speaker of the house shall “convene” or “arrange for a meeting” to consider the situation “and decide whether or not to pass a resolution approving the proclamation”.

“There is no provision for absentee or WhatsApp voting,” a senator told TheCable on Wednesday night.

“Every member will stand up and declare if they are in support of or against the declaration of the state of emergency.”

‘A BIG MISCALCULATION’

An APC senator told TheCable that the president did not do his homework before declaring the state of emergency “and he has now put us in a difficult situation”.

The constitution stipulates in subsection 6 that for the proclamation to have effect, it must be approved within two days if the national assembly is in session — or ten days if it is not.

“We had adjourned till Wednesday when the president made the announcement, so automatically we are in session and that means we have to vote within two days, latest Thursday,” he said.

“If he had co-ordinated well with us, we would have adjourned indefinitely before the proclamation — and that means we would have had 10 days to get our act together and gather the numbers.”

On Tuesday night, after the president declared the emergency rule, Akin Rotimi, spokesperson of the house of representatives, said Tinubu consulted the national assembly before the announcement.

Rotimi added that Tinubu’s letter informing the house of representatives of his decision, and seeking approval on the state of emergency in Rivers in line with section 305 of the constitution, has been transmitted to the green chamber and would be read during plenary on Wednesday for further legislative action.

However, the letter was not read on the floor of the green chamber on Wednesday.

The senate stepped down a motion for the consideration of the emergency rule during Wednesday’s plenary.

The motion, listed as the first item for discussion, was put on hold before any debate could take place.

The Dangote Petroleum Refinery says it has temporarily halted the sale of petroleum products in naira.

The refinery announced the decision in a statement on Wednesday.

The development comes a few hours after TheCable reported that the refinery would stop loading petroleum products for the Nigerian market as the renegotiation of the naira-for-crude deal is not recording significant progress.

Sources had told the publication the refinery would continue to load for export as it currently sources all its crude stock from the international market in dollars.

In the statement, the refinery said the decision to halt sales in naira was “necessary to avoid a mismatch between our sales proceeds and our crude oil purchase obligations, which are currently denominated in U.S. dollars”.

“To date, our sales of petroleum products in Naira have exceeded the value of Naira-denominated crude we have received,” the statement reads.

“As a result, we must temporarily adjust our sales currency to align with our crude procurement currency.”

The refinery also debunked claims that the temporary suspension was due to ticketing frauds, saying they are “malicious”.

The firm, however, assured that sales would resume in naira as soon as they receive crude supply in naira from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited.

“Our attention has also been drawn to reports on the internet claiming that we are stopping loading due to an incident of ticketing fraud,” Dangote refinery said.

“This is a malicious falsehood. Our systems are robust and we have had no fraud issues.

“We remain committed to serving the Nigerian market efficiently and sustainably.

“As soon as we receive an allocation of Naira-denominated crude cargoes from NNPC, we will promptly resume petroleum product sales in Naira.”

On March 10, TheCable reported that the NNPC had suspended the naira-for-crude deal until 2030, as the government-owned company has forward-sold all its crude oil.

However, following the report, the NNPC said negotiations are ongoing for a new naira-for-crude deal with the refinery, as the current agreement will expire at the end of March.

Zaach Adedeji, chairman of the naira-for-crude policy technical sub-committee, reassured that the naira-based crude oil supply arrangement with local refineries has not been discontinued.

Nigeria officially commenced the sale of crude oil and refined petroleum products in naira on October 1, 2024, after the federal executive council (FEC) approved a proposal by President Bola Tinubu directing the NNPC to sell crude oil to Dangote refinery and other refineries in the local currency.

However, in November last year, the refinery said the crude-for-naira initiative was faltering, as it was still unable to secure adequate supplies.