Rights group in Akwa Ibom, Center for Human Rights and Accountability Network (CHRAN), has differed with the federal government on emergency rule in Rivers State saying, Emergency Rule is undemocratic, unconstitutional and threat to democracy.
But, President Tinubu in a broadcast to the nation yesterday said, he acted on the political crisis and many more in Rivers State, no good and responsible government would fold his arms and watch the situation degenerate into violence hence, the remedial steps prescribed by the Constitution to address the situation in the state, which no doubt requires extraordinary measures to restore good governance, peace, order and security.
According to him, “in the circumstance, having soberly reflected on and evaluated the political situation in Rivers State and the Governor and Deputy Governor of Rivers State having failed to make a request to me as President to issue this proclamation as required by section 305(5) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, it has become inevitably compelling for me to invoke the provision of section 305 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended, to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State with effect from today, 18th March, 2025 and I so do”.
CHRAN views the suspension of the State Governor, Deputy Governor and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly as unconstitutional, undemocratic and extreme posing a threat to the hard-earned democracy in Nigeria.
It said that, the President’s action violates Section 1(2), Section 11, Section 188 and Section 305 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and rejected the imposition of military rule in Rivers State under the guise of a State of Emergency and calls on the President to be more dispassionate in seeking to resolve the crisis in Rivers State.
The Center urges the National Assembly, to as a matter of urgency, review the declaration by the President of a State of Emergency in Rivers State which is a threat to the nation’s democracy.
It would be recalled that, Chief Olusegun Obadanjo in 2004, had declared emergency rule in Plateau State, headed by a retired major General of the Nigerian Army following the carnage that arose due ethnic violence.
