PDP BoT Rejects, Demands Reversal of Rivers’ Emergency Rule
By Advocate News Nigeria
The Board of Trustees of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected President Ahmed Bola Tinubu’s emergency rule in Rivers State.
This is as the BoT faulted the National Assembly for ratifying the President’s action via a mere voice vote instead of the constitutional two-thirds majority.
The body demanded the immediate reversal of the emergency rule, which it said “is a gross violation of the Nigerian Constitution.”
Chairman of the PDP BoT and former Senate President, Senator Adolphus Wabara, in a Sunday statement on behalf of the body, said the action of Mr. President could only be imagined during a military era.
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.”
The PDP BoT acknowledged the President’s power to declare emergency rule on any state but said the power is not limitless.
“Whereas the President under Section 305 of the Constitution is vested with the power to declare a state of emergency, such power is not without limits. The President can only declare a state of emergency in specific circumstances such as war, insurrection, or other situations that threaten the integrity of the nation. The situation in Rivers State does not meet the constitutional criteria for such a declaration.”
It further stated:
“The absence of any pressing national emergency renders the President’s decision not only unwarranted but also an abuse of power. A declaration of emergency does not automatically dissolve or suspend elected state governments. The Constitution does not empower the President to unilaterally remove or replace elected officials; such actions amount to an unconstitutional usurpation of power and a fundamental breach of Nigeria’s federal structure.
“The President’s decision to replace democratically elected officials with an unelected Sole Administrator is nothing short of a democratic travesty. It is a stark reminder of the fragility of our democratic institutions and the persistence of authoritarian tendencies by the President.
“By dissolving the elected government of Rivers State, the President has effectively denied the people their right to be governed by officials of their choosing. This move is not just unconstitutional; it is a blatant effort to subvert democracy and install unelected officials who are more likely to be subservient to executive power than representatives of the people.”
The PDP BoT expressed shock that President Tinubu, who stoutly opposed the emergency rule imposed by former President Goodluck Jonathan in the North East in 2013, would be applying the same measure he condemned.
“It’s surprising that Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who condemned President Goodluck Jonathan in 2013, when he proclaimed a state of emergency in Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa States that Boko Haram insurgents ravaged, could declare a state of emergency in Rivers State and suspend a democratically elected government unprovoked.
“This is nothing short of hypocrisy and a well-orchestrated plan to hijack power from Rivers State Governor in the accomplishment of his 2027 presidential ambition. This is a veiled plot for APC to take over Rivers State.”
The PDP BoT further accused President Tinubu of bias against Governor Siminalayi Fubara for blaming only the Governor for the crisis in Rivers while tactfully shielding other gladiators.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was hypocritical, deceptive, and playing to the gallery when he said in his nationwide broadcast that he made personal interventions between the contending parties for a peaceful resolution of the crisis, but his efforts have been largely ignored by the parties to the crisis.
“Can he deny that his allies are part of the political crisis rocking Rivers State? Why did he in his hypocritical broadcast fail to call them to order or blame them the way he blamed Gov. Fubara? It’s only obvious that Mr. President tactfully shielded those acting out his script for unconstitutional takeover of power in Rivers State.”
The statement also faulted President Tinubu for accusing Governor Fubara of failing to prevent the explosion at the oil pipelines when the security agencies were not under the Governor’s command.
“Mr. President claimed that the latest security reports made available to him showed that there had been disturbing incidents of pipeline vandalism by some militants without the Governor taking any action, as if the Governor was the Grand Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (GCFR) or the Chief of Defense Staff. He was invariably looking for an unjustifiable excuse for his dictatorial actions.”
The PDP BoT further raised concerns about the constitutionality of the President’s pronouncement that the Sole Administrator he appointed for Rivers would “be free to formulate regulations,” alleging it is a ploy to gain illegal access to Rivers’ funds.
“Equally disturbing is President Ahmed Tinubu’s statement that ‘the Administrator will not make any new laws but will be free to formulate regulations as may be found necessary to do his job, but such regulations will need to be considered and approved by the Federal Executive Council and promulgated by the President for the state.’
“This is a dangerous overreach and a terrible precedent that speaks volumes of the President’s intentions to un-democratically usurp power from Rivers State Governor and undermine the Legislative Arm of Government vested with the responsibility of making laws. Is this not a veiled plot to gain unholy access to Rivers funds?
“There is no gainsaying the fact that the struggle over the control of Rivers’ resources is the genesis of the political crisis rocking the state. It’s an open secret that those who see Gov. Fubara as an obstacle to their unfettered access to Rivers’ Treasury have been pushing to remove him from office at all costs.”
The PDP BoT also criticized the process adopted by the National Assembly in ratifying the President’s action, calling it a “travesty of justice, legislative rascality, and rape of democracy.”
“The National Assembly must defend our democracy and protect the rule of law. Our Constitution must be upheld as the supreme legal authority in all circumstances, and we must ensure that power remains firmly in the hands of the people, where it rightfully belongs. The Nigerian people deserve no less.”
Finally, the PDP BoT expressed solidarity with Governor Fubara and the people of Rivers State in their current challenge.