The decision by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to suspend democratic governance in Rivers State has sparked intense reactions across political and legal circles, with the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) strongly condemning the move.
In a statement issued by the PDP Governors’ Forum (PDPGF) and signed by its chairman, Senator Bala Mohammed, Governor of Bauchi State, the forum described the president’s action as an attack on democracy, warning of its dangerous implications for national unity and stability.
PDP Governors’ Forum: “Touch One, Touch All”
The statement reaffirmed the PDP governors’ solidarity with Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the people of the state during what it called “a difficult and trying moment in the state’s political history.” The governors criticized the president’s decision, arguing that it set a dangerous precedent.
“He who goes to the court of equity must go with clean hands. Mr. President, your silence on the active role played by your Minister of the FCT in the Rivers impasse is golden and enabling. He has become a law unto himself because he was playing out your script. Now we know. This is totally unstatesmanlike, biased, and divisive.”
The forum further asserted that the suspension of the state government was not only unconstitutional but also the greatest threat to democracy in Nigeria today, warning that it could fuel instability, deepen mistrust, and escalate security challenges.
NBA Condemns Move as “Unconstitutional and Unacceptable”
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), in a separate statement signed by its President, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, expressed grave concern over the suspension of Governor Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
“A state of emergency is an extraordinary measure that must be invoked strictly within constitutional limits. The removal of elected officials under the pretext of emergency rule is unconstitutional and unacceptable.”
The NBA reaffirmed its commitment to upholding constitutional democracy and the rule of law, vowing to challenge the decision in court.
Legal and Political Ramifications
The PDP governors also pledged to subject Section 305 (3) of the Nigerian Constitution—which outlines the conditions for declaring a state of emergency—to judicial interpretation.
“This authoritarian shenanigan is unacceptable and cannot stand.”
Calling on President Tinubu to reverse the decision, the forum urged him to accept that he had made a “grievous mistake” and to act swiftly before it was too late.
As the crisis unfolds, political analysts warn that the situation in Rivers State could set a troubling precedent for federal intervention in state affairs, raising concerns about the balance of power between the executive and democratic institutions in Nigeria.
