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Tinubu, Fubara And The Echoes Of June 12

By Amieyeofori Ibim

As Nigeria prepares to mark another Democracy Day on June 12, the nation stands at a moral crossroads—one that places the very ideals of June 12 in quiet confrontation with the reality in Rivers State.

It has now been nearly three months since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared a state of emergency in the oil-rich state, suspended the democratically elected Governor Siminalayi Fubara, and the State House of Assembly. In their place, a retired naval officer was appointed Sole Administrator, effectively putting democratic governance on hold in one of Nigeria’s most politically strategic regions.

The reasons given were not without merit—worsening political instability, institutional gridlock, and the risk of state failure. Yet the longer this emergency endures, the more it begins to resemble the very democratic annulments Nigerians vowed never to repeat.

Just two weeks ago, on May 29, President Tinubu marked his second year in office. It was a time of reflection, a moment to evaluate the distance between promise and performance. As he enters his third year, a singular opportunity now presents itself: to use the symbolism of June 12 to right a present wrong and renew the nation’s faith in democracy.

It was June 12, 1993, that Nigerians united across tribe and tongue to elect Chief M.K.O. Abiola in what remains the fairest election in the country’s history. And it was the annulment of that election that pushed men like Bola Tinubu into the trenches of resistance, into exile, and eventually, into the hearts of Nigerians as symbols of democratic courage.

That legacy cannot be ignored.

The current situation in Rivers State is not just a regional concern—it is a national test of conscience. Democracy is not only about elections; it is about respecting the outcomes of those elections, even when the results produce discomfort or defiance.

Governor Fubara’s election was valid. His removal, no matter how procedurally framed, remains deeply problematic in the eyes of many Nigerians and observers alike.

Since March, the people of Rivers State have watched with quiet restraint. They have chosen peace over protest, civility over chaos. But they have not stopped wondering: where is our governor? Where is our voice?

Mr. President, this Democracy Day offers a historic chance to respond to that question—not with rhetoric, but with action.

Reinstating Governor Fubara and lifting the state of emergency would not be an admission of error, but a declaration of principle. It would be a moment of statesmanship that separates strongmen from nation-builders.

This is not about taking sides in a local political feud. It is about reaffirming Nigeria’s commitment to democracy and due process. The constitution is clear: elected officials should be held accountable by the law and the ballot—not removed by decree.

To ignore this moment is to allow the echoes of June 12 to become muffled in the noise of modern power politics. To act now, decisively and with grace, is to let those echoes ring louder than ever before.

It must be said that the Sole Administrator currently governing Rivers State may be serving with dignity and discipline. Yet, no matter his competence, his position is undemocratic. Legitimacy, in a democracy, cannot be appointed. It must be earned through the people’s vote.

In the face of rising regional discontent, economic strain, and global scrutiny, Nigeria cannot afford another scar on its democratic face. The Niger Delta has long been a region requiring care, inclusion, and constitutional balance—not imposition. Ignoring that truth has always come at great cost.

Mr. President, it is not weakness to reconsider a path taken in haste. It is wisdom. June 12 gives you a chance to speak not only to the nation, but to history—to reaffirm that the courage that once drove you into exile still guides your hand on the seat of power.

Restore democracy in Rivers. Let the Assembly reconvene. Let the Governor, elected by the people, resume his constitutional duties. Let this be the moment where Nigeria does more than remember June 12—it renews it.

True democracy demands more than memory. It demands maintenance.

This June 12, give Nigeria the gift of restored confidence. Give Rivers back its mandate. And give the world one more reason to believe that Nigeria still walks the path forged in blood, hope, and ballots on that fateful day in 1993.

_Amieyeofori Ibim is a PH based journalist, political analyst and public affairs commentator.

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