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Port Harcourt, Sept. 15, 2025 – A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former National Publicity Secretary of the defunct New Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP), Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has described the six-month state of emergency imposed on Rivers State as a calculated ploy to loot the state’s resources, undermine its political structures, and prevent it from competing economically with Lagos.

Eze, who fielded questions from journalists in Port Harcourt on Monday, September 15, 2025 said the state of emergency, which ends on September 18, was never about insecurity, but rather about “rescuing a drowning Wike, plundering Rivers’ patrimony, and grounding the wheel of progress.”

He argued that the Administrator of the state, Rear Admiral Ibok Ette-Ibas (Rtd), fulfilled a “devilish mandate” by halting governance, conducting what he called “illegal local government elections,” and improper use of state funds.

“All through the six months period that the Administrator held sway, the wheel of progress was grounded. No project was initiated, none was completed, and none proceeded beyond the level it was when the Governor was unlawfully suspended. The state was looted dry,” Eze alleged.

The APC stalwart accused President Bola Tinubu and Minister Nyesom Wike of collaborating to stifle Rivers’ growth, claiming that Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s commitment to infrastructure and investment posed a threat to Lagos’ dominance.

“Imagine a situation where the multinationals that harness the oil in the Niger Delta are headquartered in Lagos. All the benefits from oil exploration — tax, employment and more — go to Lagos, while Niger Deltans suffer exploitation. The aim is to ensure Rivers never competes with Lagos,” Eze said.

He maintained that the return of Governor Fubara on September 18 should mark a fresh start for the state, urging him to recommit to development and service delivery, while rejecting any agreements that do not align with the people’s interest.

Eze also lamented what he called the “docility” of Nigerians in the face of alleged illegality in Rivers, warning that such silence could erode democracy as 2027 approaches.

“The sins Tinubu and Wike have committed against Rivers and her people are unforgivable. But let us believe that September 18 will mark an end to this nonsense so the people can breathe again,” he said.