Democracy Day: Bayelsa West Senator Knocks Tinubu, Akpabio Over Rivers Emergency Rule

The Senator representing Bayelsa West, Seriake Dickson, on Thursday, condemned what he described as a “military-style suppression of democracy” in Rivers State and criticised President Bola Tinubu’s silence on the crisis during his 2025 Democracy Day address.

Speaking to journalists after the joint session of the National Assembly where President Tinubu delivered his address to mark Nigeria’s 26th Democracy Day anniversary, Dickson expressed deep disappointment over the President’s failure to address what he called the “unconstitutional governance” currently playing out in Rivers State, which is under emergency rule.

“Let me begin by wishing Nigerians a Happy Democracy Day, even though one could ask—are Nigerians truly happy today?” he said. “Still, democracy is about hope—hope for a better tomorrow. But what we witnessed today in the Senate chamber was a mockery of that hope.”

Dickson, a former governor of Bayelsa State, recalled how President Tinubu’s communication on political appointments made by the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, was read during Thursday’s plenary by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, after which he attempted to raise a constitutional point of order.

“My right as a Senator to raise a constitutional matter was completely ignored. The Senate President rushed through the President’s communication and brushed aside my intervention,” he said.

“That is a blatant suppression and disrespect for parliamentary privilege. The majority may have their way, but the minority must have its say.”

The former Bayelsa State governor described the communication from the President as an attempt to entrench “unconstitutional military rule” in Rivers State, warning that such actions were incompatible with the values of Democracy Day.

“It is troubling that, on a day meant to celebrate civil rule and justice, the Senate chose to read an undemocratic communication without challenge,” he stated. “Why choose today—of all days—to endorse actions that clearly violate the Constitution?”

While acknowledging the President’s Democracy Day speech as “flowery and impressive in tone,” Dickson said there was a glaring disconnect between Tinubu’s words and the current political realities in states like Rivers.

“You cannot claim to be a democrat on paper and trample on democracy in practice,” he said. “The President missed a golden opportunity today to restore constitutional order in Rivers.”

Dickson rejected claims that his stance was based on political affiliations, noting that his position was rooted in the defense of the Nigerian Constitution.

“This is not about Governor Fubara or any party,” he said. “It is about the people of Rivers State and the sanctity of our democratic institutions. Today, it is Rivers. Tomorrow, it could be Lagos or Kano.”

He warned that setting a precedent where elected state officials can be undermined from the federal level would endanger Nigeria’s democracy across all regions.

“What happened in Lagos during the elections was a power grab. What is happening in Rivers is a continuation of that trend. We cannot build democracy on a foundation of repression and silence.”

The Senator concluded by calling on all Nigerians—regardless of political alignment—to speak up and defend the democratic values for which many paid the ultimate price during the June 12 struggle.

“This is not just about one state,” Dickson said. “It is about protecting our democracy for every Nigerian—north, south, east, and west. We owe it to those who fought, and we owe it to future generations to do better.”