A coalition of civil society organisations in Nigeria has denounced President Bola Tinubu’s decision to impose a state of emergency in Rivers State, calling it an overreach of executive power and a direct threat to democracy.
Speaking at a press briefing in Port Harcourt on Thursday, Christian Onyegbule, a representative of the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), delivered a joint statement from the coalition, rejecting the emergency rule and calling for its immediate withdrawal.
According to the groups, the Federal Government’s decision does not address the root causes of the crisis but instead serves as a political tool to suppress opposition. They criticized the move as an unfair punishment on the people of Rivers State while allowing the real instigators of the unrest to go unchecked.
The coalition also accused President Tinubu of contradicting his past stance on similar actions, reminding him of his opposition to former President Goodluck Jonathan’s declaration of emergency rule in the North-East. They described his current position as hypocritical.
“Given the National Assembly’s endorsement of this unconstitutional act, we call on all Nigerians not to remain silent as history threatens to repeat itself. The slippery slope of emergency rule in the Western Region in 1962 serves as a stark reminder of where unchecked executive overreach can lead,” the groups stated.
The Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, also came under criticism for linking Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara to alleged security threats. The coalition dismissed these claims as a manufactured excuse to justify the emergency rule.
“We also take strong exception to the Attorney General of the Federation’s claims linking the Governor to an alleged security threat in Rivers State. These accusations are nothing more than an orchestrated attempt to justify the unconstitutional declaration of emergency rule. We challenge the Attorney General to provide credible evidence of any genuine security threats. Rivers State has remained peaceful under the leadership of the Governor, despite ongoing provocations,” they argued.
Karl Uchegbu, Chairman of the Civil Liberties Organisation for the South-South Zone, echoed these concerns, warning that the Federal Government’s handling of the situation appeared one-sided. He suggested that if the emergency rule remains in place, legal challenges would likely follow.
The civil society groups stressed the need for the immediate restoration of constitutional governance in Rivers State. They called for an impartial investigation into the root causes of the political crisis, emphasizing the importance of open dialogue among stakeholders to resolve the situation peacefully. Additionally, they urged the government to respect judicial rulings, particularly those of the Supreme Court, to prevent further escalation of tensions.
Failure to reverse the emergency declaration, they warned, could have severe consequences, including a setback for democracy, increased security instability, economic disruption, and unnecessary hardship for residents.
The statement was endorsed by several organisations, including the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), Rivers Coalition for Human Rights (RCHR), Centre for Labour Rights and Development, Human Rights Africa Network (HURA), and seven other civil rights groups.
