Veteran Nollywood actor and lawyer, Kenneth Okonkwo, has advised Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, to approach the courts to seek redress for the six months he lost during the state of emergency.
Okonkwo made the call on Monday while speaking on Sunrise Daily, a Channels Television programme, where he reacted to the lifting of the emergency rule and the reinstatement of Governor Fubara, his deputy, and members of the State Assembly.
He stressed that his position was not an attack on those who declared the state of emergency, but a constitutional issue. According to him, the people of Rivers State elected Fubara for a four-year tenure, which has been cut short by six months without justification.
“The Supreme Court has already ruled that a governor’s four-year term is sacrosanct, which is why staggered elections exist,” he said. “Governor Fubara has been denied part of his mandate, and that also means Rivers people have been denied their right to four years of leadership.”
Citing Section 180(2) of the 1999 Constitution, Okonkwo argued that a governor’s tenure begins on the day of swearing-in and must run its full course. He insisted that Fubara should remain in office until May 29, 2027, to complete his constitutionally guaranteed four years.
