Taiwo Popoola
A group of human rights lawyers, under the aegis of Lawyers in Defence of Democracy, on Wednesday marched on the streets of Abuja to demand the restoration of democratic governance in Rivers State.
The lawyers are calling on the United States and the international community to pressure President Bola Tinubu to rescind his decision to suspend Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the Rivers State House of Assembly.
Tinubu had suspended Fubara, his deputy and the Rivers Assembly for six months after declaring a state of emergency in the state.
Speaking to newsmen during a protest march to the United States embassy in Abuja on Wednesday, the lawyers, led by their Country Director, Barrister. Uche Chukwu Udeh Sylvester argued that the declaration of the state of emergency in Rivers State is unconstitutional and undermines democracy.
They further argued that there was no clear and present danger to warrant the emergency rule, adding that due process was not followed.
In a letter addressed to President Donald Trump, they urged the United States government to intervene and pressure Tinubu to restore democratic rule in Rivers State.
According to the lawyers, the suspension of Governor Fubara and the State Assembly is a brazen attempt to undermine constitutional order.
The lawyers also condemned the National Assembly for ratifying the emergency rule, describing their action as an assault on democracy.
They asked Tinubu to reconsider his stand and allow Fubara to continue his work as the democratically elected governor of Rivers State.
Parts of the letter addressed to Trump read, “In an era where democracy is supposed to reign supreme, giving democracy dividends to the masses, we have found ourselves at a crossroads, a sober moment of reckoning where constitutional order is being tested most brazenly.
“The President, who swore to uphold the Constitution, has taken a most unprecedented and unlawful step with the suspension of a democratically elected governor, deputy governor and an entire state House of Assembly under the guise of Emergency Rule. What emergency? Nigerians and Rivers people did not see or feel any such emergency.
“In our law books and we stand by this; no constitutional provision, statute or any known convention gives the president the power to single-handedly dissolve the structures of an elected state government.
“This could only have happened during the days of military juntas, but we are not under the firm grip of a military dictatorship. At the moment, the country is being governed under a constitutional democracy that operates a presidential system of government.
“President Bola Tinubu should not have decided because democracy is a learning process, and the judiciary has demonstrated the capability to resolve issues.
“The president should have allowed the various state organs to resolve the issues. It is not worthy that until recently, there was a crisis of local government administration in Osun State, which has not led to a declaration of a state of emergency.”
