posted 23rd March 2025
State of Emergency Declared in Rivers State: Governor Siminalayi Fubara Removed in Echoes of King Jaja’s Banishment
Port Harcourt, 23 March 2025 – In a dramatic turn of events, the Nigerian federal government has declared a state of emergency in Rivers State and removed Sir Amaopusenibo Siminalayi Fubara as governor, a move that has drawn stark parallels to the banishment of King Jaja of Opobo by British colonial authorities in 1887. Critics are calling it a modern-day rehashing of history, with President Bola Tinubu and his ally, Nyesom Wike, cast as contemporary equivalents of Vice-Consul Harry Johnson, the British official who orchestrated King Jaja’s exile.
Governor Fubara, often referred to as Simi, was ousted under what many describe as dubious circumstances, accused by the federal government of failing to protect petroleum oil installations in Rivers State. However, insiders suggest the real motive lies in Fubara’s staunch refusal to grant federal authorities—specifically a minister—unfettered access to the state’s vast oil resources. Much like King Jaja, who resisted British attempts to bypass his authority and trade directly with hinterland communities for palm oil, Fubara sought to ensure Rivers State’s wealth benefited its own people, putting him at odds with Abuja’s ruling gang.
In 1887, King Jaja of Opobo, a former slave who rose to become a formidable ruler, was lured aboard HMS Goshawk under the pretence of negotiations, only to be arrested and banished—first to Ghana, then to the Caribbean—by Vice-Consul Harry Johnson. The British accused Jaja of obstructing free trade, a charge widely seen as a pretext for removing a leader who dared to challenge their economic dominance in the Oil Rivers Protectorate.
Fast forward to 2025, and a similar tale unfolds. Sources claim Fubara was invited to Aso Rock, the presidential villa in Abuja, under the guise of dialogue, only to be coerced into signing documents that sealed his political fate. With the backing of 27 rebel lawmakers—described as modern-day equivalents of the House of Manilla People led by Chief Oko Jumbo in 1887—and the influence of Nyesom Wike, Tinubu’s administration swiftly moved to depose Fubara and install a more compliant regime. Fubara’s insistence on maintaining control over Rivers’ oil wealth, supported by a loyal four-man legislature led by Victor Oko-Jumbo, had clearly rattled the powers in Abuja. Today, Simi Fubara’s stand against federal overreach mirrors the defiance of his ancestors, raising the question: is he a child of fate or destiny?
The federal government’s move has exposed lingering divisions in the Niger Delta. In Jaja’s time, the region was not a unified front against British exploitation, with Bonny, Opobo, and other communities often at odds. Similarly, in 2025, the people of Bonny (Ibani), Opobo, and Ikwerre have failed to rally behind Fubara against what many see as a predatory “Lagos gang” in Abuja, led by Tinubu and abetted by Wike. While the British coveted palm oil in 1887, today’s battle is over petroleum—the lifeblood of Rivers State.
Fubara’s supporters argue that his administration’s focus on local control of resources threatened the vested interests of federal elites and their allies, including the 27 itinerant legislators who have plagued his tenure over the past two years. Meanwhile, the federal government has justified the state of emergency by pointing to security lapses, a claim dismissed by Fubara’s camp as a flimsy excuse for a power grab.
Adding insult to injury, federal legislators from southern Nigeria—save for Senator Dickson—voted in their respective chambers to suspend Fubara, revealing a lack of regional solidarity. This betrayal has only fuelled comparisons to the colonial era, with Tinubu’s regime branded as “immoral” and likened to the pre-colonial machinations of Harry Johnson.
As Fubara is effectively “banished” to Bayelsa State, stripped of his governorship, the people of Rivers State are left to ponder whether history is indeed repeating itself. King Jaja’s exile marked the beginning of British dominance in the region; Fubara’s removal may signal a new era of federal control over Rivers’ oil riches. Whether he will rise again, as Jaja remains a symbol of resistance, remains to be seen. For now, the parallels are uncanny—and deeply troubling.
