Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has strongly criticises President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, calling it reckless, unconstitutional, and a dangerous overreach of executive power.
Reacting to the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the state lawmakers, Obi took to social media platform X to condemn the move, arguing that it undermines Nigeria’s democratic progress and violates constitutional principles.
Obi asserted that the unilateral removal of an elected governor through emergency rule was an abuse of power. He warned that it could set a dangerous precedent for future governance.
“The unilateral decision of President Bola Tinubu to remove Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State from office is not only unconstitutional. It is also reckless,” Obi wrote. “It plunges us back into lawlessness, undoing 26 years of democratic progress.”
He further stated that the political crisis in Rivers State does not justify such an extreme measure. He also argued that it represents a biased interpretation of Section 305(1) of the 1999 Constitution.
Obi urged the National Assembly and other stakeholders to reject the decision. He stated that allowing such actions to stand would erode democracy, the rule of law, and the separation of powers.
“If left unchecked, this will deepen the culture of impunity already threatening our democracy,” he warned.
The former Anambra governor concluded his statement with a call to action: “A new Nigeria is possible!”
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