The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has criticised suspended Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, over comments suggesting indifference toward returning to office, warning that such remarks could embolden anti-democratic actions. In a statement by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, HURIWA stressed that Nigeria’s democracy rests on constitutional supremacy and electoral mandates. It warned that Fubara’s comments—made during a service of songs for elder statesman Edwin Clark—may be misconstrued as legitimising unconstitutional acts. HURIWA strongly condemned the suspension of a sitting governor without due process, calling it a “coup against the Nigerian Constitution.” It insisted that only resignation, impeachment, or a court order—as outlined in Sections 180 and 188—can lawfully remove a governor. Citing Section 11(4), the group noted that even during a breakdown of law and order, the National Assembly cannot remove a governor, and only a formal state of emergency under Section 305 could temporarily alter governance structures—without allowing presidential appointment of a sole administrator. “Fubara’s mandate belongs to the people of Rivers State,” the group stated. “No governor can be removed by executive fiat.” HURIWA warned that allowing this precedent could lead to a pseudo-military state and called on the judiciary, National Assembly, and democratic stakeholders to reject what it described as creeping authoritarianism.
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