A coalition of civil society organizations (CSOs) has condemned the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, calling for its immediate reversal.
The coalition, speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Friday, March 21, described the president’s decision as an “executive coup” against the people of Rivers State and a blatant abuse of executive power.
The briefing was organized by Fix Politics on behalf of over 200 CSOs, including Accountability Lab Nigeria, BudgIT Foundation, BO Foundation for Inclusive Media (BOFIM), Campaign for a New Nigeria, and the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID).
Speaking on behalf of the group, Tony Ubani, the Executive Director of Fix Politics, denounced the move, labelling it a violation of Nigeria’s constitution.
“This action is a flagrant abuse of power, a disregard for due process, and an attack on democratic principles,” he said.
While acknowledging that the president has the prerogative to declare a state of emergency under specific constitutional conditions, the group argued that this power is not absolute and must be subject to legislative and judicial oversight to prevent abuse.
The CSOs also criticized the National Assembly for its role in ratifying what they described as an unconstitutional move, accusing lawmakers of complicity in undermining democratic governance.
“This is a travesty against the rule of law and an erosion of democratic values. We call on President Tinubu to respect the constitution and immediately reverse this illegal action,” Ubani stated.