During an interview on Channels Television on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, the General Secretary of the Ijaw Youth Council, Mr. Maobuye Obu, leveled accusations against President Bola Tinubu, identifying him as the primary architect of the ongoing political instability in Rivers State.
Obu claimed the President is operating from two conflicting playbooks, intentionally misleading Governor Siminalayi Fubara while setting different performance targets for the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
He characterized the President’s intervention as a deceptive maneuver, specifically referencing the state of emergency invoked in March 2025 as an “interloper government” designed to drain state resources under the guise of restoring order.
Obu also criticized Governor Fubara for believing the narrative that the emergency rule was enacted in his favor.
He argued that the governor’s potential alignment with the APC for protection has proven futile, noting the irony that Fubara’s own new party members are now the very individuals seeking his removal.
Obi said, “The person causing the issues in Rivers State is no other person than President Tinubu. He has two playbooks he’s using. He’s giving a different KPI to the FCT Minister and deceiving the governor. Now, I’ll tell you why. You know, sometimes in March, the the president aired and invoked whatever constitution gave him the powers to invoke state of emergency. But I call that an interloper government that suck state dry.”
He added, “The president told the governor that the emergency rule was in his favour and he is believing that dump story. Now, if the governor moved to the APC and told Nigerians that he went to the APC because he wanted protection, it is a shame currently that his new party members are the ones that want his head on a platter. They are the same set of people that are calling for his impeachment.”
The political atmosphere in Rivers State reached a fever pitch following the formal initiation of impeachment proceedings against Governor Fubara and his deputy, Professor Ngozi Odu.
On January 8, 2026, the Martins Amaewhule-led House of Assembly served a notice of gross misconduct, citing the demolition of the Assembly complex and extra-budgetary spending as primary grounds.
By January 16, the Assembly escalated the process by directing the Chief Judge to constitute a seven-man investigative panel.
Although the governor secured a temporary court injunction to stall the move, the legislative faction has remained resolute, fueled by a recent shift where several lawmakers who previously advocated for reconciliation recanted their positions to support the ouster.
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