Kenneth Okonkwo Faults Tinubu Over Rivers Emergency Rule, Says Presidency Exploited LGA Elections

Veteran Nollywood actor and Labour Party chieftain, Kenneth Okonkwo, has faulted President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s handling of the state of emergency in Rivers State, insisting that Tinubu merely exploited the situation to control local government authorities through proxies.

In a statement released on Saturday via his official 𝕏 account, Okonkwo argued that the President’s recent announcement lifting the emergency rule in Rivers was misleading, as the proclamation had already expired automatically after six months, in line with the constitution.

Citing Section 305(6)(c), Okonkwo stressed:

“A proclamation issued by the President under this section shall cease to have effect after a period of six months has elapsed since it has been in force.”

According to him, Tinubu had the power to revoke the emergency earlier—particularly after former Governor Nyesom Wike and incumbent Governor Siminalayi Fubara declared that they had settled their differences—but chose not to. Instead, he claimed, the President allowed the proclamation to linger so his administration could allegedly organize illegal local government elections using sole administrators as proxies.

Okonkwo further dismissed Tinubu’s claim of reinstating Governor Fubara, stating that such powers lie only with the people of Rivers State and their elected representatives, not the presidency.

“You cannot reinstate whom you cannot remove. Only the Rivers people, through their elected representatives and the state judiciary, can remove the Governor and his Deputy—not Tinubu,” he declared.


The actor-politician concluded that Tinubu’s actions were not only unconstitutional but also insulting to the sensibilities of Rivers people, warning that the presidency must respect the boundaries of democratic governance.