The Board of Trustees (BoT) of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has strongly rejected President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, calling it a “gross violation of the Nigerian Constitution.”
The PDP BoT also criticized the National Assembly for ratifying the President’s action through a mere voice vote, instead of the constitutional two-thirds majority required for such a significant decision.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Chairman of the PDP BoT, Adolphus Wabara, who is also a former Senate President, demanded the immediate reversal of the emergency rule.
He condemned the move, stating that it “could only be imagined during a military era” and was a flagrant disregard for the democratic process.
The statement stressed that the declaration of emergency rule, coupled with the suspension of the governor, deputy governor, and all elected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, represented a serious breach of constitutional provisions and democratic norms.
Wabara, speaking on behalf of the BoT, also slammed the National Assembly for its approval of the state of emergency.
The party expressed its dissatisfaction with the fact that the legislature, which is supposed to uphold constitutional safeguards, ratified such an important measure through a voice vote rather than the constitutionally mandated two-thirds majority.
The statement read:
“The Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, vehemently, and in very strong terms, condemns President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, suspending the democratically- elected Governor, Deputy Governor, and members of the State House of Assembly. His decision to replace them with a sole Administrator is undemocratic and alien to our Constitution.
“This action is a gross violation of Nigeria’s Constitution – the foundational legal document that guarantees the rights of Nigerians to participate in the democratic process. It is an attack on the very essence of our Republic. It’s an action that deserves the strongest condemnation and corrective action by all well-meaning Nigerians, the judiciary, civil society, and the international community.
“In my capacity as the Chairman of BoT of our great party, the PDP, and a former Senate President, I call for the reversal of this assault on our democracy. It’s sad and disheartening that Mr President ignored my earlier advice to ignore those calling for emergency rule in Rivers State.
“I had also advised him not to lean towards those attempting to hijack power through the back door in Rivers State. I had then sought his intervention as the father of the nation because the political crisis in Rivers State, if mismanaged, is capable of plunging the entire country into a needless political turmoil.
“I unequivocally denounce the President’s action, which disregards the rule of law and undermines the sovereignty of the people of Rivers State. This grossly- undemocratic action constitutes a violation of our Constitution, which the President solemnly swore to uphold, and threatens the very foundation of democracy in Nigeria.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s action only reminded Nigerians of the better-forgotten era of military dictatorship. Could it be a mere coincidence that the day the PDP National Secretariat land in Abuja was revoked by the APC-led administration , was the same day the Governor of Rivers State was served impeachment notice?
Nigeria’s Constitution, under Section 7(1), mandates that each state shall have a government that is formed through the democratic process of elections. The people of Rivers State exercised their democratic rights in electing their leaders, including the State Governor, Deputy Governor, and Members of the House of Assembly.
“These leaders were not appointed by the President or any other authority but were chosen by the people to represent their interests. The Constitution guarantees their right to serve the duration of their mandate, and the President’s unilateral suspension of these duly elected officials is a direct breach of the people’s will.”
AKELICIOUS reports that the PDP BoT acknowledged the President’s power to declare emergency rule on any state, but it said the power is not limitless.
