Atiku Sends Fresh Message to Nigerians Over Rivers Crisis
- Presidential hopeful Atiku Abubakar has rejected the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers state
- Legit.ng recalls that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu recently proclaimed emergency rule in Rivers state, appointing Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (Rtd) as sole administrator
- Atiku declared that the president’s action “is not only unlawful but also a clear subversion of democracy”
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Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering politics and governance in Nigeria.
FCT, Abuja - Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar on Thursday, March 20, asked Nigerians should stand up and defend the country’s democracy by resisting the state of emergency imposed in Rivers state by President Bola Tinubu.
As reported by The Cable, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election, spoke in Abuja at a press conference of concerned political leaders.
Source: Facebook
According to him, it is not only the responsibility of the opposition parties to defend democracy but the duty of everyone to reject the “brazen assault” on the elected government in Rivers.
Legal experts like Inibehe Effiong said only the Supreme Court could vindicate the governor—provided he challenges the decision in court.
Effiong stated that the Supreme Court has the mandate to resolve the Rivers case within a month and determine whether Tinubu’s emergency rule declaration is legal or unconstitutional.
For now, the matter will proceed to the Red Chamber, where senators will vote to approve or reject Tinubu’s request for ratification.
The emergency proclamation on Tuesday evening, March 18, sent shockwaves throughout the country as Fubara had not yet been impeached. Tinubu’s activation of Section 305 of the Nigerian constitution to remove an elected governor was widely deemed an overreach of his presidential powers.
Source: Twitter
However, attorney general of the federation (AGF) Lateef Fagbemi, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), insisted that Tinubu made the right constitutional call threatening that Tinubu would whip any uncooperative governor into line. The nation's constitution Section 305 allows the president to declare emergency powers over a state to restore order.
Still, it does not say the president can remove existing democratic institutions and replace them with an emergency military rule.
Read more on Rivers' political crisis:
- NBA sends message to Fubara amid political battle in Rivers with Nyesom Wike
- 7 things to know about Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, Rivers state’s new sole administrator
- Rivers emergency rules: Atiku, El-Rufai, others tackle Tinubu, make 4 demands, full text emerges
Rivers: Tinubu's govt deploys 10,000 troops
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Tinubu government deployed 10,000 personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to Rivers state.
The presidential action is to curb further attacks on oil pipelines against the backdrop of the alleged blasts at oil installations in Rivers state between Sunday, March 16, and Tuesday, March 18.
Afolabi Babawale, NSCDC spokesperson, confirmed the deployment.
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Source: Legit.ng
