The South-South Governors’ forum has called for the cancellation of the emergency rule declared by President Bola Tinubu in Rivers state.
In a statement issued on Thursday and signed by its Chairman and Governor of Bayelsa state, Sen. Douye Diri, the forum expressed concern that the current political situation in Rivers State does not satisfy the criteria for declaring a state of emergency as outlined in Section 305(3) of the Nigerian Constitution (as amended).
“This section suggests that such a declaration should be considered under specific conditions like war, external aggression, imminent invasion, breakdown of public order, existential threats to Nigeria, natural disasters, or other significant public dangers”, it stated.
Furthermore, the forum said, “It is also worth noting that the Constitution outlines specific procedures for the removal of a governor and deputy governor, as detailed in Section 188, and similar provisions exist for the removal of members of the House of Assembly and the dissolution of parliament. In the current situation, it appears that these guidelines might not have been fully considered.
“We believe that the political disputes in Rivers State between the Governor and the House of Assembly should, ideally, be resolved through legal and constitutional means, rather than by executive fiat”.
It encouraged all parties to remain calm, uphold peace and the constitution of the Federal Republic of NNigeria, stating that the moment for dialogue is now.
