Former Rivers State Governor and ex-Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has slammed President Bola Tinubu’s handling of the political crisis in Rivers State, accusing him of breaching the constitution through the declaration of a state of emergency and the alleged removal of Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Speaking at the 9th Edition of the Akinjide Adeosun Foundation (AAF) Annual Leadership Discourse in Lagos, themed “Fearless Leadership: A Panacea for Sustainable Development,” Amaechi did not hold back as he also took a swipe at the National Assembly, describing it as a weak institution that aided the president in “instituting an illegal government.”
According to the former Transport Minister, the failure of Nigerians to hold leaders accountable continues to embolden poor governance.
He called for a more active citizenry and questioned the glorification of so-called courageous leadership in a properly functioning system.
His words, “Do you agree that there is nothing like a fearless leader and there is nothing like courageous leadership? Do you (Nigerians) need a courageous leader where the system works? Just push the button, everything will give you the answer. It is only when there is a failed leadership that you begin to look at who is the courageous leader.”
He continued by reflecting on leadership styles and how the quality of followership determines the tone of governance.
“There are different types of leadership traits, and fearless leadership is not one of them. There is the authoritarian leadership trait, which is one who knows it all. Such leaders tell you what to do without consulting and expect you to obey.
“You can either have a fearless followership or a docile followership. Does Nigeria resonate here as par the docility of followership? Does it resonate here? Yes. Good governance is about constitutionality and the rule of law. It is also about the concept of separation of power. The absence of good governance and rule of law breeds arbitrariness in governance. Arbitrariness here has to do with non-observance of the basic principles of law.”
Amaechi decried the growing trend of governance by personal whims, warning that such tendencies erode the very foundation of democracy.
“For a governor or a president, who subscribes to such a concept, it is what he or she does that is law. It is not what is in the book that is law. There is also the non-observance of the basic principles of law. This is where government is not by law, but by the whims and caprices of an individual leader. Like the current pronouncement of an illegal and unconstitutional state of emergency in Rivers State aided by weak institutions like the National Assembly, which is very weak.”
He went further, stating that Tinubu’s actions in Rivers go beyond legal violations—they strike at the heart of Nigeria’s constitutional integrity.
“What is even more alarming is that the breach in the situation is not even about law. The president didn’t break any law. He broke the constitution. Now, this breach of the constitution is the breach of the sacredness and sanctity of the constitution. The constitution of a country is the Bible of that country. And its sanctity must be protected. Can we say the same in Nigeria? Obviously, the response would be a resounding no. The president looked at the whole Nigeria and removed an elected governor in Rivers State and appointed a military man, yet the country continued. Nothing happened.”
