Rivers: Tinubu has plunged Nigeria into state of lawlessness — Peter Obi
by The Eagle Online · The Eagle OnlineThe presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 elections in Nigeria, Peter Obi, has said that President Bola Tinubu has plunged Nigeria into a state of lawlessness by unilaterally declaring a state of emergency in Rivers State.
The former two-term governor of Anambra State made this position known in a statement he issued on Tuesday on Tinubu’s declaration.
The Eagle Online recalls that the President declared the statement of emergency in a statewide broadcast on Tuesday.
He appointed Vice Admiral Iboette Ibas to administer the state after suspending Fubara and his Deputy, Ngozi Odu, as well as the elected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
However, Obi said the decision by President Tinubu was unilaterally taken as it did not have the approval of the National Assembly.
Indeed, the spokesman of the House of Representatives, Akin Rotimi Jr, said the House would only discuss the letter of the President on Wednesday (today) on the state of emergency declared on Tuesday.
Obi said in his statement:
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.
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By disregarding the rule of law, the President has shown a dangerous willingness to trample on democracy.
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.
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.
I appeal to the National Assembly and all stakeholders not to allow this to stand, as it only deepens the culture of impunity and brigand already threatening our democracy.
A new Nigeria is POssible!
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