State of emergency: It’s presidential coup, Tinubu lacks skills required to rule Nigeria – NNPP

The New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP, has condemned the State of Emergency declared on Rivers State by President Bola Tinubu.

In a statement yesterday by the National Publicity Secretary, Ladipo Johnson, NNPP declared that the action of the president was not only unconstitutional but also “an absurd political decision and a very dangerous precedent.”

The statement reviewed the political situation in Rivers State, noting that it had clearly not degenerated to the level warranting a State of Emergency. It added that except for the inherent political interest in the state, a more reasonable solution could have been applied rather than emergency rule.

“Of course, the presidential fiat invoking Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution is arbitrary in the circumstances, to say the least, particularly on the conditions precedent and implications for democracy and the development of the country.

“It is clearly a dangerous precedent, which can only be interpreted as an absurd political manipulation on the part of the Federal Government.

“Why the rush to proclaim a State of Emergency without the conditions precedent as required by law? Doesn’t the president’s action vitiate the rule of law he talked about in his speech? Hasn’t he, by this rash action, shown us that he does not fully understand the long-term implications and lacks the requisite skills required to rule a complex country like Nigeria? Or is it about his party’s much-touted political interest in Rivers State ahead of 2027?”

“These are questions germane to this unfortunate decision, which, of course, sends frightening signals both locally and internationally regarding the rule of law and the overall state of things in our union.”

The statement was unequivocal that President Bola Tinubu was ill-advised, stating that he should have acted as a father to the parties involved in the Rivers State quagmire instead of being seen as one-sided and vindictive.

“Yes, this rational deduction could be gleaned even from the sequence of his speech, which gives away the Emergency Rule proclamation as a political orchestration toward a political end.

“This sort of action was what the NNPP had warned Nigerians and the people of Kano against, which it saw being orchestrated by some evil forces during the Emirate crisis. But for the maturity of the Governor and the good people of Kano State, who avoided being ‘tricked’ into taking their resistance onto the streets, the same scenario might have played out with an unjustifiable declaration of a State of Emergency on Kano State.

The NNPP, however, acknowledged the implications of the declaration of a State of Emergency for the economy, warning that it was a decision capable of triggering restlessness in the Niger Delta with disastrous effects on the national economy.

“Now, the challenge is how to deal with a possible implosion in the Niger Delta over this matter. Are we seeing signs of this, given the incidents in the state in the last few days and how this could affect oil production as the nation’s economic mainstay?”

Calling on the Presidency to immediately reverse its decision, the party also urged members of the National Assembly to reject what it described as a “presidential coup against a constitutionally elected government of the people in Rivers State.”

In conclusion, the party called on Nigerians to remain vigilant against any measures or actions by the government and individuals within it that could jeopardize the nation’s democracy, which, it said, was hard-earned and must be protected against impunity, ill-advised decisions, and policies.