June 12 Hypocrisy: Nigeria Hails Democracy While Rivers Lives Under Political Occupation -By Jeff Okoroafor

As Nigeria marks Democracy Day on June 12, the irony is bitter and inescapable. This day, meant to commemorate the triumph of the people’s will over military dictatorship, has instead become a grim reminder of how far Nigeria’s democracy has been hijacked by political godfathers and power-drunk elites. Nowhere is this travesty more glaring than in Rivers State, where a democratically elected governor, Siminalayi Fubara, is illegally suspended by President Bola Tinubu, while a sole administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, governs without a mandate.

This is not democracy. This is state capture—an open subversion of the constitution, all to satisfy the political vengeance of Nyesom Wike, the former governor and current Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister. The situation in Rivers State is a national disgrace, and it exposes the rotten underbelly of Nigeria’s so-called democracy.

Fubara was elected by the people of Rivers State in March 2023, in an election that was widely regarded as free and fair. Yet, barely a year into his tenure, he was forcibly suspended for six months by President Tinubu, acting not in the interest of Rivers people, but as an enforcer for Wike’s political machine.

This suspension is unconstitutional and dictatorial. The Nigerian constitution provides clear processes for the removal of a governor—impeachment by the state assembly or legal conviction for gross misconduct. There is no provision for a president to unilaterally suspend a sitting governor. What Tinubu has done is an executive coup, a throwback to the worst days of military rule when generals dissolved elected governments at will.

To justify this power grab, Tinubu’s government declared a sham “state of emergency” in Rivers State, claiming a breakdown of law and order. But the truth is glaring: There was no such breakdown. The only “emergency” was Wike’s desperation to retain control over Rivers’ politics and finances.

Under this illegal arrangement, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, a known ally of Wike, has been installed as sole administrator. This is an insult to democracy. Rivers people did not vote for Ibas; they voted for Fubara. The imposition of an unelected administrator is a direct assault on the principles of representative government—the very principles June 12 is supposed to celebrate.

At the heart of this crisis is Nyesom Wike, a man who once posed as a defender of democracy but has now revealed himself as its greatest enemy. Unable to accept that his tenure as governor had ended, Wike has used his influence with Tinubu to hijack Rivers State by proxy. He engineered the defection of 27 Rivers lawmakers to the APC, despite constitutional provisions requiring them to vacate their seats. He forced Fubara into a so-called “peace deal” that was nothing but a surrender document. Now, with Fubara suspended and Ibas in place, Wike effectively rules Rivers from Abuja, while the people’s mandate is trampled. This is not politics; it is gangsterism in agbada.

What exactly is Nigeria celebrating on Democracy Day when an elected governor is illegally suspended without constitutional backing? When a state is run by a sole administrator appointed by presidential fiat? When a former governor dictates governance from Abuja like a mafia boss? If this is the state of Nigerian democracy, then June 12 is not a celebration—it is a funeral for the ideals of free choice and people’s power.

If Tinubu can remove Fubara without consequence, no governor in Nigeria is safe. Tomorrow, it could be Delta, Kano, or Lagos—any state where a president and his allies decide they do not like the elected leadership. This is how democracies die: not with a bang, but with silent, legalistic coups disguised as “political solutions.”

For Democracy Day to mean anything, Nigerians must demand the immediate reinstatement of Governor Fubara—his suspension is illegal and must be reversed. The dissolution of the sole administrator’s office—Rivers State must be returned to its elected government. A judicial inquiry into Tinubu’s unconstitutional overreach—the president cannot be allowed to act like a military dictator. Sanctions against Wike for undermining democracy—his political terrorism must be checked before it spreads.

Rivers State is a microcosm of Nigeria’s democratic crisis—a system where elections are held, but the people’s will is disregarded when it inconveniences the powerful. If Tinubu and Wike can subvert an entire state’s government without consequences, then Nigeria is not a democracy. It is a pretend democracy, where the powerful write the rules as they go.

As politicians gather to give hollow speeches about June 12, Rivers State burns under an illegitimate regime. The question is: Will Nigerians rise to reclaim their democracy, or will they watch as it is buried alive? The time to resist is now—before it is too late.

Jeff Okoroafor

Jeff Okoroafor is a social accountability advocate and a political commentator focused on governance, accountability, and social justice in West Africa.