Top opposition leaders in Nigeria, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; one-time Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi; former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, and a former Secretary to the Government of Federation, Babachir Lawal, have told the National Assembly to reject the state of emergency declaration by President Bola Tinubu in Rivers State.
They also called on President Tinubu to immediately revoke this unconstitutional proclamation and reinstate the elected governor, deputy governor, and State Assembly of Rivers State.
Other opposition leaders present at the press conference held in Abuja on Thursday, included LP’s Yunusa Tanko, who represented Peter Obi; national secretary of the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), Peter Ahmeh, and convenor of The Alternative, Segun Showunmi, among others.
Among those whose apologies were announced at the event were former governors Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers State), Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti State), and the immediate-past national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Adamu, among others.
Reading the communique on behalf of the opposition leaders, Atiku who described the Tinubu’s declaration as unconstitutional and illegal, reeled out the coalition’s demands to include immediate reversal of the declaration of State of Emergency in Rivers State.
“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.
“National Assembly’s Rejection: 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.
“Judicial Intervention: We urge the judiciary to act swiftly in striking down this proclamation, as it sets a dangerous precedent that could be used to arbitrarily remove any Governor in the future.”
He added: “The historical unrest in the Niger Delta should not be forgotten so soon. Past administrations had made great efforts and sacrifices to restore peace and stability to the Niger Delta, which is critical to the economic health and stability of Nigeria itself. This federal government should not manufacture political crises that could disrupt the fragile stability and return the country to the past that we have all prayed to leave behind for good.
“We must never allow personal political interests and the desire to hold on to power at all costs to throw the country into unavoidable chaos through brazen subversion of the principles of federalism, democracy, and constitutional governance. This is not just about Rivers State it is about the future of Nigeria’s democracy.”
