The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has fiercely rejected President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, describing it as a brazen violation of the 1999 Constitution and an attempt to subvert democracy. The party condemned the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy for six months, calling the move an illegal power grab by the All Progressives Congress (APC).
PDP National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Debo Ologunagba, issued a statement on Tuesday, March 19, 2025, denouncing Tinubu’s actions as an “unconstitutional suspension” of an elected governor. He argued that the appointment of retired Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas to govern the state amounts to a military-style takeover and warned that it could destabilize the entire country.
Legal experts and opposition figures have raised alarm over the constitutional implications of Tinubu’s move. Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution stipulates that a state of emergency must be approved by the National Assembly before it takes effect, a step the PDP insists was ignored. The party accused the APC of engineering political instability in Rivers to justify the clampdown, calling it part of a broader strategy to weaken opposition and impose a one-party state.
Political tensions in Rivers State have escalated over the past months, with factions within the state government clashing over control. However, PDP insists that the crisis does not meet the constitutional threshold for emergency rule. The party has urged democratic institutions, civil society, and Nigerians to resist what it calls “a dangerous precedent that threatens the nation’s democracy.”
With Rivers State now at the center of a constitutional battle, the question remains: Will the National Assembly uphold the rule of law, or will Tinubu’s emergency decree stand?
