PDP BoT Rejects Tinubu’s Emergency Rule In Rivers, Calls For Immediate Reversal

The PDP BoT also criticized the National Assembly for approving the decision through a mere voice vote rather than the constitutionally required two-thirds majority.

In a statement issued on Sunday, BoT Chairman and former Senate President, Adolphus Wabara, demanded the immediate reversal of the emergency rule, describing it as a move reminiscent of military dictatorship and a blatant disregard for democratic principles.

The statement emphasized that suspending the governor, deputy governor, and all elected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly was a severe breach of constitutional and democratic norms.

Wabara further rebuked the National Assembly for failing to uphold constitutional safeguards and accused President Tinubu of ignoring warnings against imposing emergency rule in Rivers.

“The Board of Trustees (BoT) of the PDP strongly opposes President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, which led to the suspension of duly elected officials and their replacement with a sole administrator. This action is unconstitutional, undemocratic, and an attack on the fundamental rights of Nigerians,” the statement read.

Wabara warned that the President’s actions undermined the rule of law and could plunge the nation into political instability, urging the judiciary, civil society, and the international community to intervene.

He also drew attention to the recent revocation of the PDP National Secretariat land in Abuja, suggesting a calculated political maneuver by the ruling party.

Citing Section 7(1) of the Nigerian Constitution, Wabara reaffirmed that state governments must be formed through democratic elections, and any unilateral suspension of elected officials was a direct assault on the people’s will.

The PDP BoT has called on all democratic institutions and Nigerians to resist what it described as a dangerous precedent that threatens the country’s democratic foundations.