Oba Maduabuchi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, stated that declaring a state of emergency in Rivers State was unnecessary. During an appearance on ‘Prime Time’ on Arise Television on Wednesday, he contended that if the state were truly ungovernable, elections would not have taken place as claimed. He described the scenario as laughable and expressed relief that the emergency rule had been lifted. Maduabuchi criticized President Bola Tinubu for depriving the people of Rivers of democracy for six months, asserting, “I firmly believe that there was no justification for declaring a state of emergency, and it makes no sense to say that the governor and House of Assembly should step aside while elections are being held. This situation is laughable, yet we are now experiencing a sense of relief.” Let’s see how this unfolds. “However, with all due respect, Mr. President’s statement seems to me to be sidestepping the real issue.” What emergency did Vice-Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retired) come to address? “The appropriate venue for resolving the matter of whether the 27 members of the State House of Assembly defected or not would have been the Supreme Court. Had this issue been addressed, we wouldn’t be in this situation now.” In the event that four members of the State House of Assembly are unable to convene, the Constitution provides guidance on the matter: “The National Assembly assumes control of the state’s affairs.” He stated that if the 27 individuals had not left, Fubara would have had no choice but to collaborate with them.