Coalition of Atiku, Obi, El-Rufai opposes state of emergency in Rivers

A coalition of opposition leaders including Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Nasir El-Rufai and others, has called on the National Assembly to reject the state of emergency declared in Rivers State by President Bola Tinubu.

The coalition which addressed a press conference on Thursday at Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja, said Tinubu in declaring the state of emergency wrongly invoked Section 305 of the Constitution. The coalition also accused Tinubu of favouritism in the Rivers State political crisis.

Atiku who addressed the conference on behalf of others, said, “We call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately revoke this unconstitutional proclamation and reinstate the elected Governor, Deputy Governor, and State Assembly of Rivers State.

“We call on patriotic Senators and Representatives to vote against this illegal action when it comes before them for approval.

“The National Assembly must stand on the right side of history and not allow itself to be used to legitimise an unconstitutional power grab.”

At the conference, Peter Obi was represented by Yunusa Tanko. Other opposition figures at the event were former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal; National Secretary of the Coalition of United Political Parties, Peter Ahmeh, and Convener of the Alternative, Segun Showunmi, among others.

The apologies of former governors; Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), and the immediate past National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Abdullahi Adamu, among others who were absent, were announced at the event.