Rivers: Kenneth Okonkwo Advises Fubara to Seek Legal Clarification on Tenure Extension

Veteran Nollywood actor and lawyer, Kenneth Okonkwo, has stated that Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, is constitutionally entitled to seek legal redress over the loss of six months in office, suggesting that his tenure should be extended accordingly.

Okonkwo made this assertion during an interview on Sunrise Daily, a Channels Television program, on Monday. His comments followed recent developments in Rivers State, including the suspension of the state of emergency and the reinstatement of Governor Fubara, his deputy, and members of the State House of Assembly.

“This is not about antagonizing anyone who declared the state of emergency,” Okonkwo clarified. “It’s about upholding constitutional provisions. Fubara was elected by the people of Rivers State to serve a four-year term, and the Supreme Court has affirmed that such tenure is sacrosanct.”

He argued that the six months Fubara was suspended from office were taken from him “illegally and brutally,” which, according to Okonkwo, deprived the people of Rivers State of their full mandate.

Citing Section 180(2) of the 1999 Constitution, Okonkwo emphasized that a governor’s term is clearly defined as four years from the date of swearing-in.

“If he was sworn in on May 29, 2023, then his tenure constitutionally should end on May 29, 2027. Any interruption that shortens this period infringes on the rights of both the governor and the electorate,” he said.

Okonkwo also referenced procedures typically followed during a state of emergency. “If a state of emergency is declared due to a breakdown of law and order, elections are usually postponed—not brought forward—by six months. So if there’s any justification for such a declaration, it should have led to an extension, not a reduction, of tenure.”

He concluded that both Fubara and the people of Rivers State have the constitutional right to challenge the deduction of six months from his tenure in court.

“In my opinion, his tenure should end on November 29, 2027—not earlier,” Okonkwo asserted.