El-Rufai Slams Tinubu Over Rivers State Emergency Rule, Calls Suspension of Fubara, Lawmakers Unconstitutional
Former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has vehemently criticized President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, condemning the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu, and the state’s House of Assembly members as unconstitutional and a direct assault on democratic principles.
In a statement released on his X handle, El-Rufai decried the decision as an alarming overreach of presidential authority, arguing that Nigeria’s Constitution does not grant the President the power to dismiss or suspend elected state officials under emergency rule. According to him, such actions pose a grave threat to the country’s democratic system and must be reversed.
An Assault on Democracy?
El-Rufai asserted that a state of emergency, if necessary, should be limited to granting security agencies the extraordinary powers and resources needed to address security concerns, rather than dismantling the structures of democracy.
“Extending the provisions of such an emergency regime to include the dismantling of democratic structures is a wanton aggression against democratic tenets and the rule of law,” he stated.
He further recalled past legal precedents, including the Supreme Court ruling in Dariye v. Attorney General of the Federation, which unequivocally declared the suspension of elected officials unlawful. The former Kaduna governor urged President Tinubu to reconsider his decision and uphold constitutional governance.
A Contradiction in Leadership?
El-Rufai also pointed out a striking contradiction in Tinubu’s stance, recalling that as an opposition figure, Tinubu had strongly opposed former President Goodluck Jonathan’s decision to declare a state of emergency in the North-East. Notably, Jonathan’s declaration did not extend to suspending elected officials, yet Tinubu had spoken against it.
“The responsibilities of a President are heavy and extensive, but they are constrained by the Constitution and the law. They certainly do not include firing persons who were elected,” El-Rufai emphasized. “If President Tinubu found it necessary to criticize a lesser action under Jonathan’s administration, it is only fair to expect a reconsideration of this even graver decision.”
A Call to Action
Drawing parallels with historical political crises, El-Rufai warned against repeating the mistakes of the 1962 emergency rule in the Western Region, which escalated political instability in the country.
He called on all patriots and defenders of democracy to resist the move and demand a reversal of the unconstitutional suspension.
“Let us not keep silent while the slippery slope of undermining democratic institutions unfolds before our very eyes,” he urged.
El-Rufai’s criticism adds to the mounting concerns about the Tinubu administration’s handling of governance and constitutional adherence, raising questions about the future of democratic federalism in Nigeria.
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