Former President Goodluck Jonathan has strongly criticized the political crisis in Rivers State, accusing key actors across the executive, legislature, and judiciary of abusing their powers.
Speaking at the Haske Satumari Foundation’s annual colloquium on Saturday in Abuja, Jonathan described President Bola Tinubu’s emergency rule in Rivers as a “clear abuse of power.”
Jonathan, who refrained from directly mentioning Tinubu, said Nigerian leaders are deliberately ignoring the right course of action.
“The situation in Rivers State reminds me of an Indian proverb: If someone is truly asleep, you can wake them up easily. But if they are only pretending to sleep, waking them up becomes impossible,” Jonathan said.
“The key actors in Nigeria—the executive, the legislature, and the judiciary—know the right thing to do but are refusing to do it. They are pretending to sleep. Waking such people is extremely difficult.”
He further warned that the increasing politicization of the judiciary is damaging Nigeria’s global reputation and scaring away investors.
“No businessman will invest in a country where a government official can dictate to judges what judgment to deliver. It is a big risk,” he added.
Jonathan called on political leaders to uphold integrity, cautioning that the continued abuse of power could lead to national instability.
“If we want to build a nation where our children and grandchildren can thrive, we must strive to do what is right. It may cost us, but we must be willing to pay the price,” he said.
