PDP Reacts as Tinubu Suspends Gov Fubara, Declares State of Emergency in Rivers State
- Following President Bola Tinubu's declaration of a state of emergency and the six-month suspension slammed on Rivers governor, Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and all state legislators, major reactions have started pouring in
- The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said President Tinubu’s action reeks of political manipulation
- The party outrightly rejected the presidential pronouncements, claiming that the President lacks such power to suspend a democratically elected governor
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering politics, elections, and governance in Nigeria.
Port Harcourt, Rivers state - The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said it is deeply worried by the national broadcast by President Bola Tinubu in which the Nigerian leader pronounced an imposition of a state of emergency on Rivers state.
In a statement on Tuesday night, March 18, signed by Debo Ologunagba, its national spokesperson, obtained by Legit.ng, the PDP totally rejected what it termed an "attempt by the President to override the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and undermine the votes and will of the people of Rivers state by seeking to depose a democratic government and foist an undemocratic rule in the state."
Source: Facebook
Legit.ng reports that Rivers, a PDP-governed state, has been enmeshed in a crisis since 2023 when Governor Siminalayi Fubara fell out with Nyesom Wike, the minister of the federal capital territory (FCT).
State of emergency by Tinubu "unconstitutional" - PDP
Furthermore, the main opposition party stated that the declaration by President Tinubu of the suspension of the democratically elected Governor of Rivers, Governor Fubara and the appointment of an unelected individual, Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (rtd) to govern the state is "a clear attack on our nation’s democracy, an abrogation of the votes and democratic right of the people of Rivers State to choose their leader under the Constitution."
The PDP said:
"The action of Mr. President therefore clearly borders on attempt at state capture. It is the climax of a well-oiled plot to forcefully take over Rivers state for which the All Progressives Congress (APC) has been bent on stoking crisis to ensure that democracy is ultimately truncated in the state.
"Nigerians are invited to note that the situation in Rivers state and the reasons adduced by the President cannot justify the declaration of a state of emergency in the State under the 1999 constitution, rendering the declaration completely incompetent."
Source: Twitter
Rivers' state of emergency: PDP alleges unholy motive
The PDP claimed that the presidential declaration "is part of the larger vicious plot to foist a siege mentality across Nigeria, decimate the opposition, impose a totalitarian one-party state and turn the country into a fiefdom.
The party argued that President Tinubu should have waited for the national assembly his state of emergency proposal before making the announcement in the viral national broadcast.
Tinubu's appointment of Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas "illegal" - PDP
The PDP labelled the appointment of an unelected individual, Vice Admiral Ibas, to take over government in Rivers state as illegal and "a clear recipe for crisis, threat to the peace, and stability of not only Rivers state but the entire nation."
The party, therefore, cautioned Ibas to respect the constitution.
Rivers govt speaks as Tinubu suspends Fubara
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Rivers government said it is early to make comments on the presidential declaration of a state of emergency in the state.
Joseph Johnson, commissioner of information and communications, said it was too hasty for the government to take any position.
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Source: Legit.ng
