The leadership of the National Assembly has been condemned for approving the proclamation of a State of Emergency in Rivers State by President Bola Tinubu.
The Coalition of Democrats in Africa (CoDA) described the action of the lawmakers of the National Assembly as an endorsement of executive lawlessness.
The group also said that the approval of the emergency rule and suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and other elected officials of Rivers State sets a dangerous precedent capable of hunting the nation in years to come.
Ibrahim Mustapha, the president of CoDA in a statement released on Friday, March 21, said the leadership of the Nigerian Senate and House of Assembly have only succeeded in failing in the constitutional responsibility.
Mustapha accused the National Assembly of abandoning its responsibility of checking the executive by becoming a mere tool in the hands of the presidency.
“This is not just about Rivers State. It is about the very soul of our democracy. If lawmakers can sit back and watch an elected governor, deputy governor, and an entire state assembly removed without due process, then no state is safe, and no democracy is secure.
“Nigerians have watched for years as terrorists and criminals overrun communities in the North, killing and displacing thousands, yet no state of emergency has been declared there. But in Rivers, where a political crisis could have been resolved through dialogue and legal means, the President opted for brute force. The National Assembly’s endorsement of this move is disgraceful,” Mustapha said.
He further urged Nigerians to remain resolute in their quest for good governance and upholding the nation’s democracy and demand for the restoration of constitutional order in Nigeria.
“We remind Akpabio, Abbas, and all lawmakers complicit in this betrayal that power is transient. Nigerians will not forget those who stood against democracy when it mattered most,” Mustapha added.
