Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has strongly condemned the state of emergency declared by President Bola Tinubu in Rivers State, describing it as a blatant violation of the 1999 Constitution and an attempt to subvert democratic processes.
In a statement on Tuesday, PDP spokesperson Debo Ologunagba criticized Tinubu’s decision to suspend Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and the House of Assembly, arguing that the President lacks the constitutional authority to unilaterally suspend a democratically elected governor.
“Attack on Democracy”
According to Ologunagba, Tinubu’s action is an attempt at “state capture” and a calculated move to weaken the opposition and establish a one-party state. He described the emergency proclamation as the “climax of a well-oiled plot to forcefully take over Rivers State,” emphasizing that the decision disregards the democratic rights of the people of Rivers State.
“The unconstitutional declaration by President Tinubu of the suspension of the democratically elected Governor of Rivers State, Governor Siminalayi Fubara, and appointment of an unelected individual, Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (rtd), to govern the state is a clear attack on our nation’s democracy,” Ologunagba asserted.
The PDP insists that Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution, which Tinubu cited as the legal basis for the emergency declaration, does not grant him absolute power to suspend elected officials. Ologunagba highlighted that the section mandates the President to immediately notify the National Assembly for approval.
“Nothing in Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution relied upon by the President grants him the exclusive powers to declare or execute the declaration of a state of emergency without recourse to the statutory approval of the National Assembly,” the PDP spokesperson noted.
Section 305(2) of the 1999 Constitution states:
“The President shall immediately after the publication, transmit copies of the Official Gazette of the Government of the Federation containing the proclamation including the details of the emergency to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, each of whom shall forthwith convene or arrange for a meeting of the House of which he is President or Speaker, as the case may be, to consider the situation and decide whether or not to pass a resolution approving the proclamation.”
Allegations of Political Manipulation
The PDP further alleged that the declaration is part of a larger plan to impose a siege mentality across Nigeria, suppress opposition voices, and secure control of Rivers State for the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“The PDP alerts that the unwarranted imposition of emergency rule in Rivers State is part of the larger vicious plot to foist a siege mentality across Nigeria, decimate opposition, impose a totalitarian one-party state, and turn the country into a fiefdom,” Ologunagba added.
The PDP has called on the National Assembly to intervene and reject the emergency proclamation, insisting that it undermines Nigeria’s democracy. Legal experts and political analysts are closely monitoring the situation, anticipating potential legal battles over the constitutionality of Tinubu’s actions.
This confrontation sets the stage for a contentious standoff between the ruling APC and the opposition PDP, as both parties prepare for the unfolding political and legal implications of the state of emergency in Rivers State.
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