•Tinubu and Atiku
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has asked Nigerians not to celebrate the return of democracy in Rivers State, saying the state of emergency signposts the dictatorship of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
Following serious political crisis between Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his political godfather Nyesom Wike, and the State House Of Assembly, President Tinubu in March declared a state of emergency in the state for six months, reports Daily Trust.
When the six months elapsed, the president said he had no reason to extend the emergency rule a day further and asked the State Governor, his deputy and members of the State House of Assembly to resume their duties.
Reacting, to the development in a post on his social media platforms, the opposition leader said the emergency rule was unconstitutional when it was declared six months ago and still remains so, saying that there was nothing to celebrate.
Atiku, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the last election, argued that the declaration and subsequent lifting of the emergency rule in Rivers were both outside the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution and that the President lacked the power democratically elected governor.
Atiku wrote: “Lifting the suspension of Governor Simi Fubara is nothing to cheer about. The suspension of the Rivers State Governor and the State House of Assembly was unconstitutional when it was done six months ago and is still illegal today.
“President Tinubu had no power to suspend a democratically elected governor and state lawmakers. The Rivers shenanigans only signpost the dictatorship of the Tinubu administration,” Atiku said.
