Amaechi: Tinubu has truncated democracy in Rivers, Nigerians must speak up
By Jeffrey Agbo
Former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has expressed disapproval of President Bola Tinubu’s suspension of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
Tinubu announced the suspension via a television broadcast on Tuesday, declaring a state of emergency in Rivers over the political crisis that has engulfed the oil-rich state.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Amaechi described the move as “undemocratic, unconstitutional, and a brazen violation of Nigeria’s Constitution.”
He called on the National Assembly, state governors, and stakeholders to reject what he termed an “illegal power grab.”
Amaechi argued that President Tinubu overstepped his constitutional authority by suspending elected state officials. Citing Section 188 of the Nigerian Constitution, he emphasized that a governor can only be removed through a clearly defined impeachment process, not by presidential decree.
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“With this singular move, Mr. President has technically suspended and truncated democracy in Rivers State. This clearly violates our Constitution, the same Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that Mr. President swore to uphold,” Amaechi stated.
He further questioned Tinubu’s use of Section 305, which allows the president to declare a state of emergency, arguing that it does not grant him the power to “dissolve elected arms of government.”
The former Rivers governor accused certain forces of orchestrating a political takeover in the state. He urged governors, lawmakers and Nigerians across political divides to resist what he described as an “audacious violation of democracy.”
“At this inauspicious moment in our nation’s trajectory, all people of goodwill and conscience should rise to oppose this audacious violation of our Constitution and rape of our democracy. Mr. President must be made to know and understand in unmistakable terms that this illegality cannot stand,” he declared.
Amaechi, who previously served as Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), commended governors who had spoken out against the suspension. He urged others to join in rejecting the move and preventing “Nigeria’s descent into totalitarianism.”
