PDP rejects emergency rule in Rivers State

Austin Okoro DDM NEWS

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has strongly condemned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent national broadcast, in which he declared a state of emergency in Rivers State.

The party described the move as a blatant violation of the 1999 Constitution and an outright assault on Nigeria’s democratic system.

According to the PDP, the President’s attempt to override constitutional provisions and impose an unelected administration in Rivers State is an unacceptable subversion of the people’s will.

The PDP has rejected what it considers an unconstitutional and authoritarian maneuver aimed at deposing a democratically elected government and installing an unelected official to govern the state.

The party argues that President Tinubu’s declaration, which suspends the duly elected Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, and appoints retired Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas as the state’s administrator, is a direct attack on democracy and a disregard for the constitutional rights of Rivers State citizens.

The PDP maintains that this move is a deliberate attempt at state capture and the culmination of a long-standing plan by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to destabilize Rivers State for political gain.

The party insists that the APC has been engineering crises in the state as a pretext to justify unconstitutional measures that undermine the people’s mandate.

Expressing outrage over the President’s actions, the PDP asserts that the reasons cited for the imposition of emergency rule in Rivers State are unjustifiable under the 1999 Constitution.

The party argues that the declaration is legally incompetent and nothing more than a strategy to intimidate opposition voices, dismantle democracy, and establish a one-party dictatorship.

The PDP maintains that President Tinubu’s reliance on Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution is misleading, as the provision does not grant him unilateral authority to declare a state of emergency without approval from the National Assembly.

Highlighting the constitutional requirements for emergency rule, the PDP cites Section 305 (2) of the 1999 Constitution, which mandates the President to transmit copies of the Official Gazette containing the proclamation to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, who must then convene their respective Houses to consider the situation and decide whether to approve the proclamation.

The party insists that President Tinubu’s directive to hand over governance to an unelected official is illegal, provocative, and a dangerous precedent that threatens the peace and stability of not only Rivers State but the entire nation.

Reaffirming its stance, the PDP emphasizes that Governor Siminalayi Fubara was democratically elected by the people of Rivers State for a constitutionally guaranteed four-year term, which cannot be arbitrarily terminated by presidential decree.

The party warns that any attempt to remove the governor through unconstitutional means will be resisted, as such actions represent an erosion of democratic principles and an affront to the rule of law.

The PDP also cautions retired Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas against accepting or implementing the illegal directive, reminding him that Nigeria operates under a constitutional democracy and not a military dictatorship where state leadership can be assigned by executive order.

Calling for a reversal of the President’s decision, the PDP urged all well-meaning Nigerians, civil society organizations, and the international community to condemn what it described as an unconstitutional overreach by the Presidency.

The party called on the National Assembly to assert its authority and prevent the unlawful imposition of emergency rule in Rivers State.

It insists that any attempt to undermine the democratic structures of the country will be met with strong resistance from the Nigerian people.

For Diaspora Digital Media Updates click on Whatsapp, or Telegram. For eyewitness accounts/ reports/ articles, write to: citizenreports@diasporadigitalmedia.com. Follow us on X (Fomerly Twitter) or Facebook