Former Rivers State Governor and ex-Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, has condemned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s decision to suspend Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and members of the state’s House of Assembly.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Amaechi described the suspension as “undemocratic, unconstitutional, and a brazen violation of Nigeria’s Constitution.” He urged the National Assembly, governors, and Nigerians to reject what he called an “illegal power grab.”
Amaechi argued that Tinubu had no constitutional right to remove elected officials from office. He pointed out that according to Section 188 of the Nigerian Constitution, a governor can only be removed through an impeachment process, not by a presidential order.
“With this singular move, Mr. President has technically suspended and truncated democracy in Rivers State. This clearly violates our Constitution, the same Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that Mr. President swore to uphold,” Amaechi stated.
He also challenged Tinubu’s use of Section 305, which allows a state of emergency to be declared. According to him, this section does not grant the President the power to dissolve elected government institutions. He warned that such actions set a dangerous precedent for democracy in Nigeria.
Amaechi accused certain political figures of orchestrating the situation to take control of Rivers State. He called on lawmakers, governors, and citizens to resist what he described as an attack on democracy.
“At this inauspicious moment in our nation’s trajectory, all people of goodwill and conscience should rise to oppose this audacious violation of our Constitution and rape of our democracy. Mr. President must be made to know and understand in unmistakable terms that this illegality cannot stand,” he declared.
He also commended governors who had spoken against the suspension and encouraged others to take a stand. According to him, failing to act could push Nigeria further toward totalitarian rule.
