Seyi Makinde, the governor of Oyo state, has said that the 12 governors elected under the umbrella of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would be challenging the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers state by President Bola Tinubu.

Governor Makinde made this known in his monthly newsletter on March 19, adding that he and his colleagues on the platform of the PDP would not sit back and "watch the democracy we built for almost three decades be trampled upon."

Makinde rejects suspension of Fubara

Makinde explained that irrespective of their feelings and loyalty, the tenet of democracy must be protected. He added that "this is the time to take a stand for fairness, equity and justice" and expressed his gladness about the action of the leading opposition party governors.

The newsletter reads in part: "The PDP Governors’ Forum rose from an emergency meeting where we unanimously decided to challenge the actions of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in a court of competent jurisdiction."

In my newsletter today, I talked about the need for right-thinking members of society to take a stand against the illegal suspension of elected officials in the executive and legislative arms of government as part of a state of emergency declared by the president in Rivers State.… pic.twitter.com/p6KzlAmLIa

— Seyi Makinde (@seyiamakinde) March 20, 2025

PDP governors kicked against Fubara's suspension

Makinde's revelation came days after the PDP governors' forum, through its chairman and governor of Bauchi state, rejected Tinubu's state of emergency declaration as the solution to the political crisis in Rivers.

The PDP governors called for the immediate reversal of the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, describing the move as a "grievous mistake" and an “atrocious and retrograde decision”.

List of states under PDP's control

Currently, the PDP controls 12 of the 36 states in Nigeria, making it the leading opposition party in the country's political milieu. Below is the list of the PDP states and their governors:

1. Adamawa - Ahmadu Fintiri

2. Akwa - Ibom Umo Eno

3. Bauchi - Bala Mohammed

4. Bayelsa - Douye Diri

5. Delta - Sheriff Oborevwori

6. Enugu - Peter Mbah

7. Osun - Ademola Adeleke

8. Oyo - Seyi Makinde

9. Plateau - Caleb Mutfwang

10. Rivers - Siminalayi Fubara (Under Suspension)

11. Taraba - Agbu Kefas

12. Zamfara - Dauda Lawal

When did Tinubu suspend Governor Fubara?

President Tinubu, on Tuesday, March 18, made a bold decision on the political crisis rocking Rivers. He declared a state of emergency in the oil-rich state, as the parties involved refused to find lasting peace between the aggrieved camps.

The two political titans in the state, Governor Fubara and the immediate past governor of Rivers and minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, have been at loggerheads barely six months after the former took over the mantle of leadership.

During the broadcast, Tinubu announced the suspension of the governor, his deputy and the lawmakers in the Rivers state House of Assembly. The president subsequently appointed Ibok-Ete Ibas, a retired vice-admiral, as the state's administrator.