A coalition of opposition parties in Nigeria, led by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), has strongly criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s decision to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State, labelling it unconstitutional and politically motivated.
At a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday, March 20, the coalition accused the Nigerian government of deliberately creating a crisis to justify what they described as a premeditated and cynical action.
“Rather than allowing the law to take its course, the federal government has engineered a crisis justify this obviously premeditated and brazenly cynical unconstitutional action.
“We find the federal government’s excuse of pipeline vandalism quite untenable and even laughable. The security of national infrastructure falls squarely under the responsibilities of federal security agencies and privately contracted security firms.
“If this issue has to do with breach of security in whatever form, the question that should naturally be asked are: Who controls the police, the military, and the DSS? The Governor or the President?” the group questioned.
They called for the immediate reversal of the state of emergency and the reinstatement of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu, and all suspended members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
Rejecting the government’s justification of security concerns, the coalition argued that the protection of national infrastructure is the responsibility of federal agencies. They questioned why the security forces under Tinubu’s administration failed to manage the situation without resorting to political intervention.
The opposition outlined a series of demands, urging the National Assembly to reject the move, calling on the judiciary to overturn the proclamation, and encouraging Nigerians to defend democracy.
They warned that setting such a precedent could allow any elected governor to be arbitrarily removed in the future.
“The historical unrest in the Niger Delta should not be forgotten so soon. Past administrations had made great efforts and sacrifices to restore peace and stability to the Niger Delta, which is critical to the economic health and stability of Nigeria itself.
“This federal government should not manufacture political crises that could disrupt the fragile stability and return the country to the past that we have all prayed to leave behind for good,” they said.
The coalition listed their Demand and Call to Action as follows:
1. Immediate Reversal: We call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately revoke this unconstitutional proclamation and reinstate the elected Governor, Deputy Governor, and State Assembly of Rivers State.
2. National Assembly’s Rejection: We call on patriotic Senators and Representatives to vote against this illegal action when it comes before them for approval. The National Assembly must stand on the right side of history and not allow itself to be used to legitimise an unconstitutional power grab.
3. Judicial Intervention: We urge the judiciary to act swiftly in striking down this proclamation, as it sets a dangerous precedent that could be used to arbitrarily remove any Governor in the future.
4. Nigerians Must Defend Democracy: We call on all civil society organisations, political groups, and Nigerians of good conscience to stand firm in the defence of this democracy that we have all toiled to build. Rivers State is not a conquered territory, and Nigeria is not a dictatorship requiring the replacement of an ELECTED GOVERNOR with a MILITARY ADMINISTRATOR. We recall that even when a previous administration had declared a state of emergency in parts of the country bedevilled by insurgency and acts of terrorism, the governors of the concerned states were not removed from office as this administration has done. This action, by President Tinubu therefore represents a new low for our country.
