A group of Civil Society Organisations under the aegis of Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, South East Zone has urged President Bola Tinubu to immediately reverse the state of emergency declared on Rivers State and apologise to the people.
The group made the demand of the President at a press conference it addressed on Monday in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital.
The press conference was anchored by the South East representative of the Situation Room, Oliver Chima Ajah, and endorsed by over 20 South East member organisations in attendance.
Communicating the group’s position, Ajah, who is also the Executive Director of Development and Integrity Intervention Goal Foundation, described the action of the President as an affront on constitutional democracy and the rule of law in Nigeria.
He further described Tinubu’s suspension of democratically elected governance and appointment of a sole administrator in Rivers State as unlawful, reckless, and authoritarian, stressing that the action endangers the progress Nigeria has made in strengthening democratic governance since 1999.
Ajah said: “The arbitrary removal of elected officials in Rivers State undermines the principles of federalism and sets a dangerous precedent where the Federal Government can unlawfully take over the governance of any state under flimsy pretexts.
“We therefore reject this reckless and unlawful suspension of elected officials and democratic institutions in Rivers State.
Also Read
“There is no constitutional or moral justification for the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State.
“The President must immediately revoke this declaration and restore constitutional order in the State by reinstating all the elected officials.
“We demand the President to publicly apologise to the people of Rivers State and Nigeria for violating their democratic rights and unlawfully usurping the powers of their elected leaders.”
The group further called on the judiciary and relevant stakeholders to act to safeguard Nigeria’s democracy by ensuring that the President’s “unconstitutional” actions are condemned and that no such overreach is permitted in the future.
Among the organisations present at the press conference were Development and Integrity Intervention Goal Foundation; International Peace and Civic Responsibility Centre; Da’wah and Guidance Bureau of Nigeria; Initiative for Social Change in Africa; Community Outreach and Public Empowerment Foundation; and Initiative for Good Governance and Sustainable Development, Social and Integral Development Centre.
Others included Agents of Communication and Development; Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy and Development; Initiative for Gender Inclusion and Transformation Advocates; and Faith Community Counselling Organisation.
Post Views: 1
Follow The Eagle Online Channel on WhatsApp
