APC Chieftain Eze Condemns State of Emergency in Rivers
Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, a prominent chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has strongly criticized President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State.
In a statement issued in Port Harcourt, Eze described the move as a direct assault on democracy and an unconstitutional attempt to oust Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Eze accused President Tinubu of acting in bad faith by suspending Governor Fubara, his deputy, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, while leaving out Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
He argued that Section 305 of the Nigerian Constitution does not grant the President the power to remove elected officials.
Eze recalled that former President Goodluck Jonathan did not remove sitting governors when declaring a state of emergency in Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa States in 2013.
The APC stalwart also accused President Tinubu of prioritizing oil revenue over human lives, citing the rising insecurity and killings across the country.
He alleged that Tinubu’s action was influenced by Wike, who had failed to impeach Fubara using 27 defected lawmakers.
Eze warned that Rivers people would not allow their democracy to be hijacked, insisting that Fubara’s refusal to be Wike’s puppet was the real reason behind the crisis.
Eze urged the National Assembly, governors, and all democratic forces to reject Tinubu’s decision, calling it an illegal power grab that must not be allowed to stand.
He reminded Tinubu of his past stance against Jonathan’s emergency rule in 2013, when he described it as “a dangerous trend in governance.”..
