Honestly, when I read that Fubara was telling people to thank President Tinubu for "saving" Rivers State with an emergency rule, it made me wonder if it was more about politics than actually saving anyone. Like, Fubara and his camp say it kept the state from total chaos, and maybe in a way it did calm some of the mess. But my gut says politicians use these words to keep the public on their side or make themselves look grateful, especially when there’s pressure from Abuja or from their opponents.

Plus, in Nigerian politics, thanking someone powerful—especially the president—sometimes isn’t about real appreciation, it’s about surviving in the game! Maybe Fubara felt cornered and just went along with whatever would get things ‘back to normal’ for his government. Or maybe he was trying to calm everyone down, so people wouldn’t go out protesting anymore and risk more trouble.

So, was it really necessary? Maybe for peace at the time. Was it a bit of a political performance? I definitely think so. Politicians know how to turn a crisis into a show of loyalty, and that’s what it looked like to me!