Presidency Speaks as Anger Follows Tinubu’s Declaration of Emergency Rule in Rivers, Details Emerge

• Presidential spokesperson Sunday Dare has said the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers state is "well within the stated powers of the President"
• Dare said this is "settled by the very wording of the constitution itself and backed by judicial precedents"
• According to the presidency, Tinubu has not been overbearing, but intervened multiple times and consulted with major stakeholders before declaring a state of emergency in Rivers

Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering politics, elections, and governance in Nigeria.

FCT, Abuja - Amid the emergency rule declaration in Rivers state, Sunday Dare, the special adviser, media and public communication to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Friday, March 21, insisted that his principal upheld the constitution.

In a lengthy post shared on his verified X (formerly Twitter) page, Dare said Tinubu "acted in overriding national interest", adding that the anger, rejection, and support that trailed President Tinubu’s recent declaration of emergency rule in Rivers state is "healthy for our democracy".

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Dare—one of the presidential spokespersons—stated that President Tinubu was "forced into action to avert needless harm and destruction" in Rivers state.

Some critics said Tinubu could have taken alternative measures rather than suspending the democratically-elected executive arm of the state for six months and appointing a sole administrator. But Dare maintained that the Nigerian leader is not off-the-mark.

He wrote:

"In times of urgent emergency, extraordinary measures can and must be taken. If not, trouble turns into calamity. Normal becomes abnormality. That which is bad becomes even worse and less amenable to solution.

"In the case of Rivers state, turmoil and crisis had taken over. The rival stakeholders could not see their way toward resolution. Something had to be done before all became undone.

"In this case, President Tinubu stepped up as was his moral and legal obligation to do. In this case, the Constitution, the blueprint of our democracy spells out the options before the President in dire and emergency circumstances."

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Furthermore, Dare condemned what he termed "frenzy" by Tinubu's political opponents, saying it "has hit a high pitch".

He said:

"They have placed themselves in opposition to what the law says about the powers and authority of the President."

'Tinubu’s intervention in Rivers not political maneuver'

Expressing concern about the situation in Rivers state which he said is "deteriorating", Dare noted that the crisis has "become an existential threat to both democracy and national interest."

He concluded:

"President Tinubu’s intervention in Rivers state must be understood—not as a political maneuver, but as a constitutional necessity to prevent the descent into anarchy. His actions, in invoking Section 305 of the Nigerian constitution, affirm the fundamental role of the presidency: not as a bystander to disorder but as the ultimate custodian of constitutional integrity and national."

Read more on Rivers' political crisis:

• Rivers: 6 times presidents have declared state of emergency in Nigerian states
• NBA sends message to Fubara amid political battle in Rivers with Wike
• 7 things to know about Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, Rivers state’s new sole administrator

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Emergency rule in Rivers: Nigerians in diaspora react, tell Tinubu what to do

Rivers: Tinubu's govt deploys 10,000 troops

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Tinubu government deployed 10,000 Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) personnel 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. According to him, his colleagues were tasked with protecting critical infrastructure and preventing pipeline vandalism, particularly in the Niger Delta area of the most populous black nation on Earth

Source: Legit.ng