THE South-South Governors’ Forum has called for the reversal of the state of emergency in Rivers State that was declared by President Bola Tinubu.
In a statement issued on Thursday and signed by the Chairman of the South-South Governors’ Forum, Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State in Yenagoa, the state capital, the governors said:
“We recognise the President’s constitutional duty to maintain law and order throughout Nigeria, just as we are equally mandated to secure peace and stability in our states.
“However, the South-South Governors’ Forum expresses concern that the current political situation in Rivers State does not satisfy the criteria for declaring a state of emergency as outlined in Section 305(3) of the Nigerian Constitution (as amended). This section suggests that such a declaration should be considered under specific conditions like war, external aggression, imminent invasion, breakdown of public order, existential threats to Nigeria, natural disasters, or other significant public dangers.
“It is also worth noting that the Constitution outlines specific procedures for the removal of a governor and deputy governor, as detailed in Section 188, and similar provisions exist for the removal of members of the House of Assembly and the dissolution of parliament. In the current situation, it appears that these guidelines might not have been fully considered.
“We believe that the political disputes in Rivers State between the Governor and the House of Assembly should, ideally, be resolved through legal and constitutional means, rather than by executive fiat.”
To de-escalate tensions and promote lasting peace, the South-South Governors’ Forum further urged the Federal Government to rescind the state of emergency and allow constitutional and legal mechanisms to resolve the political dispute between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the Rivers State House of Assembly.
In the meantime, the Forum called on all stakeholders to remain calm, uphold the rule of law, and embrace dialogue as the path forward.
“The moment for dialogue is now,” the governors added.
Eighteen-Eleven Media