Atiku Abubakar has condemned President Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers, calling it political manipulation and blaming the President for security breaches

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has sharply criticised President Bola Tinubu’s recent declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, calling it “political manipulation and outright bad faith.”

Atiku, in a statement released on Tuesday via X (formerly Twitter), accused President Tinubu of being a “vested partisan actor” in the ongoing political unrest in the state.

Atiku suggested that the President’s administration either enabled or failed to prevent the escalating crisis in Rivers, further accusing Tinubu of negligence.

“His blatant refusal or calculated negligence in preventing this escalation is nothing short of disgraceful,” Atiku stated. He also condemned the security breaches in Rivers, which led to the destruction of vital national infrastructure, claiming the responsibility squarely lies with the President.

“If federal infrastructure in Rivers has been compromised, the President bears full responsibility,” Atiku said, emphasizing that the federal government should be held accountable for its failures in the region.

The former Vice President went on to accuse Tinubu of using the situation in Rivers for political gain, stating that “punishing the people of Rivers State just to serve the political gamesmanship between the governor and Tinubu’s enablers in the Federal Government is nothing less than an assault on democracy.”

He described the situation as one that undermines the principles of democracy and should be condemned in the strongest terms.

Atiku also referenced the former peace achieved in the Niger Delta region under former President Umaru Yar’Adua, arguing that Tinubu’s administration has “thrown the region back into an era of violent unrest and instability.”

He claimed that the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers represents a reversal of the progress made in the area, heightening the unrest and jeopardising the stability of the region.

In his call to action, Atiku urged Nigerians to reject what he termed a political scheme, asserting that the crisis in Rivers should not be manipulated for partisan interests.

His comments reflect growing concerns over the political implications of the emergency rule in Rivers and its potential impact on national unity.