BREAKING: HURIWA Condemns Alleged ‘Civilian Coup’ In Rivers, Urges Upholding Rule Of Law
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has decried what it termed an unlawful attempt to remove Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State, asserting that personal frustrations expressed by the governor should not be misconstrued as a surrender of his constitutional mandate.
In a statement issued on Monday, the civil society organisation cautioned that Governor Fubara’s recent public comments do not equate to relinquishing his role as the democratically elected leader of Rivers State.
Naija News reports that during a service of songs held in honour of the late elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark, in Port Harcourt on Sunday, Governor Fubara stated: “Can’t you see how better I look? Do you think I am interested in it? Do you even know if I want to go back there? My spirit had already left that place long ago.”
Responding, HURIWA described the governor’s remarks as a reflection of personal distress and warned that constitutional governance must not be determined by sentiment.
“The Nigerian President, no matter how powerful his office is perceived to be, has no constitutional authority to suspend a sitting governor or appoint a sole administrator,” HURIWA said. “What we have witnessed in Rivers State amounts to a civilian coup—a direct assault on the 1999 Constitution.”
The group stressed that Nigeria’s democratic framework outlines only specific legal paths for removing a governor from office—chief among them, impeachment as prescribed in Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution.
“The constitution is clear on this matter. Nowhere does it allow the President to suspend a governor or replace him with a retired military officer,” the statement continued.
HURIWA further cited Section 11(4) of the Constitution, which limits National Assembly intervention to situations where there’s a collapse of law and order, and even then, it does not empower the federal government to annul an elected official’s mandate.
“It is a mockery of democracy to allow a federal takeover of a state without a declaration of emergency by the National Assembly as required under Section 305. Even in a state of emergency, the Constitution does not permit the President to impose a sole administrator,” HURIWA insisted.
On Governor Fubara’s recent comments, the group urged Nigerians not to interpret them as legal grounds for him to vacate his position.
“Even if Governor Fubara says he’s uninterested, it is not within his right to forfeit a mandate freely given by the people of Rivers State,” said HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko. “It is not his personal property to discard. That mandate belongs to the electorate.”
HURIWA expressed alarm that allowing such an alleged unconstitutional takeover to go unchecked could pave the way for similar actions in other states.
“Today it is Rivers. Tomorrow it could be anywhere. We cannot allow democracy to be replaced with executive whim. If this model stands, it signals the end of federalism and the rise of a centralized autocracy,” the association warned.
The group called on Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Speaker of the House Tajudeen Abbas, and other key leaders to break their silence and safeguard constitutional democracy. It also urged the judiciary to resist pressures to legitimise any illegal political actions.
“The silence of key institutions and political leaders is deafening. Democracy dies not only through armed coups but also through apathy and silence,” the statement noted.
HURIWA concluded by rallying civic and legal communities to actively defend democratic integrity.
“We urge all democratic forces to stand up and say: enough is enough. The rule of law must prevail,” the statement concluded.