The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has strongly condemned President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, calling it illegal and unconstitutional.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, PDP National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba insisted that Governor Siminalayi Fubara remains the legitimate leader of the state.
He accused the president of overstepping his constitutional powers by attempting to remove an elected governor.
“The purported suspension of Governor Fubara is unconstitutional, invalid, and completely out of the question,” Ologunagba stated. “No provision of the Constitution empowers the President to dismantle a sub-national government or appoint an administrator in place of a democratically elected governor.”
The PDP also accused Tinubu of bypassing the National Assembly, arguing that a state of emergency cannot take effect without legislative approval. According to the party, this violates multiple sections of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution, including provisions that protect state governments from federal overreach.
Additionally, the party condemned what it described as a politically motivated move to revoke the land title of the PDP National Secretariat, calling it an attempt to suppress opposition voices.
The PDP urged the National Assembly to block Tinubu’s actions, called on security agencies to remain neutral, and appealed to Nigerians and the international community to reject what it described as an assault on democracy.
“Governor Fubara remains the elected Governor of Rivers State,” Ologunagba declared. “President Tinubu must act as a resolver of crises, not an exacerbator of problems.”
The party vowed to challenge the federal government’s actions through legal and democratic means.