State Of Emergency: Northern Elders Send Message To Tinubu Over Rivers Crisis

The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has issued a message to President Bola Tinubu, urging him to reverse the suspension of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara and members of the State House of Assembly.

Naijaonpoint reported that the House of Representatives and the Senate, on Thursday, in a voice vote, ratified President Tinubu’s state of emergency in Rivers State.

In a statement, NEF spokesperson Professor Abubakar Jika Jiddere urged the president to reinstate both the governor and his deputy, emphasizing that the suspension was unjustified.

While acknowledging that Section 305 of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution (as amended) grants the president the authority to declare a state of emergency in any part of the country, NEF argued that the conditions required for such an action were absent in Rivers State.

The Elders said, “The president may by instrument published in the official Gazette of the Government of the Federation issue a proclamation of a state of emergency in the Federation or any part thereof.

“However, the president can only do so, if and only if, any of the conditions stated in subsection 3 of Section 305 actually occurs, which includes war, imminent invasion, breakdown of public order, clear and present danger, disaster or natural calamity, other public danger, or a request from the Governor of the State.”

NEF maintained that none of these conditions applied to Rivers, stating: “It is a public knowledge and indisputable fact that none of these conditions actually happened in Rivers State. Except perhaps for personal vendetta in alliance with the President’s serving Federal Minister of the FCT and the immediate past Governor of Rivers State who has been in personal conflict with the suspended Governor for selfish interests rather than public good.”

The group urged the federal government to prioritize a lasting solution to the political turmoil in Rivers, warning that suspending elected officials undermines democracy and public trust.

“The Federal Government and the President in particular must find a viable and permanent solution to the political crisis in Rivers State, and also immediately lift the suspension of the Governor, Deputy Governor, and State Assembly to restore the spirit of democracy, justice, and public order,” they stated.

Additionally, NEF cautioned the government against allowing political disputes to escalate in other states, referencing the ongoing leadership tussle in the Kano Emirate as another issue requiring urgent attention.