South-South Governors’ Forum has called on President Bola Tinubu to reverse his declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State.
The Governors, in their statement, contended that the ongoing political crisis in the region does not warrant such a drastic measure.
On Tuesday, President Tinubu announced the state of emergency in Rivers State in response to the persistent turmoil, which also led to the suspension of the state’s governor, Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and members of the House of Assembly.
Douye Diri, the Governor of Bayelsa and the forum’s chairman, emphasised that the suspension of these elected officials represents a significant overreach.
While acknowledging the president’s constitutional duty to uphold law and order, the governors urged respect for the constitutional responsibilities of state governors to maintain peace and stability within their jurisdictions.
“The south-south Governors’ Forum expresses concern that the current political situation in Rivers state does not satisfy the criteria for declaring a state of emergency as outlined in Section 305(3) of the Nigerian Constitution (as amended),” the statement reads.
“This section suggests that such a declaration should be considered under specific conditions like war, external aggression, imminent invasion, breakdown of public order, existential threats to Nigeria, natural disasters, or other significant public dangers.”
The forum said the constitution provides clear procedures for the removal of elected officials.
“It is also worth noting that the constitution outlines specific procedures for the removal of a governor and deputy governor, as detailed in Section 188, and similar provisions exist for the removal of members of the house of assembly and the dissolution of parliament. In the current situation, it appears that these guidelines might not have been fully considered,” they added.
“We believe that the political disputes in Rivers State between the governor and the house of assembly should, ideally, be resolved through legal and constitutional means, rather than by executive fiat.”
The governors proposed an immediate end to the emergency rule as a step towards lasting peace and called on all parties to respect the constitution.
