The Presidential candidate of Labour Party in the 2023 election, Peter Obi has urged the National Assembly and other stakeholders not to allow the state of emergency declared on Rivers by President Bola Tinubu to stand.
According to him, allowing the state of emergency to stand will deepens the culture of impunity and brigandage already threatening Nigeria’s democracy.
Obi said this in a post on his X handle on Wednesday while reacting to President Tinubu’s declaration of state of emergency on Rivers’
Peter Obi added that President Bola Tinubu has “shown a dangerous willingness to trample on democracy,” with the declaration of state of emergency on Rivers.
Obi described President Tinubu’s action over the crisis in Rivers as ‘unconstitutional and reckless’.
He said: “The unilateral decision of President Bola Tinubu to remove Governor Similaya Fubara of Rivers State from office is not only unconstitutional but also reckless.
“It has plunged us back into a state of lawlessness, hugely undoing the progress we have made in these 26 years of democratic journey.
Obi said the situation in Rivers does not justify such action by the President.
He also accused Tinubu of biased interpretation of section 305(1) of the 1999 constitution.
“The declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State is not just reckless—it is a clear attempt to return us to a state of nature and tighten its grip on power at all costs.
“It is a degrading back door imposition of martial rule on a strategic part of the federation with all the implied negatives .
“The political situation on the ground in Rivers does not justify such an extreme measure, and it is also a biased interpretation of section 305(1) of the 1999 constitution.
“A state of emergency does not mean an elected Governor can be removed unilaterally. This decision does not align with democratic norms or good governance. Instead, it appears to be a predetermined action serving specific interests rather than the collective good of the people of Rivers State and Nigeria.
“This action constitutes an unconstitutional overreach, setting a dangerous precedent that threatens democracy, the rule of law, and the separation of powers. If left unchecked, it could foster a culture of impunity.
“The unilateral decision of President Bola Tinubu to remove Governor Similaya Fubara of Rivers State from office is not only unconstitutional but also reckless.
“It has plunged us back into a state of lawlessness, hugely undoing the progress we have made in these 26 years of…
“Having already been grappling with non-adherence to electoral qualifications, rules, and massive rigging, adding arbitrary removal of elected officials will push us to a state of nature and anarchy,” Obi added.
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