Hon. Carsel Obioma Sunday said Nigeria’s version of democracy has made a mockery of us as a people. The world is watching us. And this should serve as a moment for sober reflection on the part of our political leaders

 

The Convener and Advocate for Good Governance in River State. Always speaking the truth to authorities. Hon. Carsel Obioma Sunday said Nigeria’s version of democracy has made a mockery of us as a people. The world is watching us. And this should serve as a moment for sober reflection on the part of our political leaders.

More so disappointing is the rectification of the State of Emergency in River State a moment ago by the House of Representatives and the senate.

he stated. Furthermore, highlighted the inability of PDP parliamentarians and other opposition political parties to block the state of emergency in Rivers State through their votes

Unfortunately, the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers state and worse still, the rash removal or call it sudden suspension of the state governor, Simi Fubara, the deputy governor , Ngozi Edu, and members of the state House of Assembly-all duly elected representatives of the people -by President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday, March 18, 2025 has blatantly violated Section 305 of the 1999 constitution, which he swore to, on oath to abide by its dictates. 

Though that section of the constitution, which he gleefully quoted to support his decision grants him power to declare a state of emergency in the state, it does not empower him to suspend them from office.

According to Hon. Carsel Obioma Sunday he said sadly, the President has violated the law, which clearly spells out in Section 188 of the 1999 constitution what should be done before the removal of any elected politician from office. Similarly, Tinubu has removed the elected members of the Rivers state House of Assembly, the president has appropriated unto himself the powers to make laws for the good people of Rivers state! That, to put it mildly spells dictatorship under a so called democratic dispensation. 

Hon. Carsel stated so and goes further to explain that under Section 11 of the 1999 constitution it is only the National Assembly that can make laws for the state, under such circumstances. Perhaps, Tinubu should have learnt lessons from former President Goodluck Jonathan. Going back memory lane when Jonathan declared state of emergency, specifically in the three embattled North-Eastern

states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe due to the monstrous rampaging monster of insecurity he made sure that no state governor was removed from office. That was in 2013..He knows so well aware that a state of emergency allows the federal government to take firm control of security and impose restrictions on movement in certain areas.

Shedding more light on what transpired in the past, Hon. Carsel explained that though the 1961 State of Emergency Act allowed the removal of premiers under a state of emergency, both the 1979 and 1999 constitutions made no room for the suspension of any duly elected governor, his deputy or the law makers. Bluntly put what Tinubu has done is an aberration to the rules of law. Hon. Obioma is of that firm opinion and has described the president pronouncement as an impeachable offence!.

Inspite of previous attempts to find a sustainable solution to the face-off between Governor Fubara and Nyesom Wike, the latter who got appointment as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT Abuja on account of his open support for Tinubu’s presidency in 2023, the president has apparently pitched tent with Wike. That is the one man who believes his political might is his legal right. Subsequent to one court judgment after another, regarding the 27 lawmakers’ validity the pendulum of the Supreme Court judgement which eventually swung in their favour triggered the shockwaves beneath Fubara’s governorship seat. With that Wike and his allies were ready to nail his political coffin. But it is legally obnoxious that the President has violated the constitution, all in the bid to satisfy the bold and brazen ambition of Wike to play the demi-god in the political drama as it unfolded, not minding the consequences to the traumatized people of Rivers state. That situation has set off some burning questions.

People are asking that if Tinubu could mediate in the Lagos state House of Assembly crisis, why could he not deploy similar political sagacity in that of Rivers state?. Is it true that the root cause of the altercation between Fubara and Wike had to do with the former’s inability to meet the financial returns to the latter, as earlier agreed? Could it be true that it was Fubara’s traducers that are responsible for the hatchet job of the pipeline vandalism all in the bold bid to give a dog a bad name, by hanging him?.

 The National Assembly should act as the representative of the people to stop the monsters of illegality gradually taking over our political space. As it aptly described the suspension saga by Tinubu, ” as illegal, unlawful and unconstitutional”. It should not be allowed to stand. Not at all!