Rivers Emergency Rule: Redeem Your Democratic Credentials – Group Tells Tinubu

By Bulou Kosin

President Bola Tinubu has been urged to “redeem his democratic credentials by quickly reversing the emergency rule he declared in Rivers State on March 18, 2025”, just as he was advised to “beware of the verdict of history”.

The Ijaw Journalists Association Worldwide, (IJAW), made the call in a statement endorsed by Bulou Kosin, National President and Ezekiel Kagbala, Secretary of the group which noted: “President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of emergency rule in Rivers State without situation meeting constitutional threshold, especially his suspension of Governor Sim Fubara, and other democratic institutions, amount to a coup akin to General Muhammadu Buhari’s coup sacking democratic rule in December 1983 which set Nigeria decades back”.

“We seize this opportunity to hail President Goodluck Jonathan for his inclusive government and political tolerance during his reign. For upholding constitutional democracy despite having to declare a state of emergency in three northern states and for accepting defeat in place of volatile options, Jonathan has so far proved to be hero, nay father of democracy in Nigeria!”

The Ijaw journalists added: “When President Bola Tinubu frowned at the wave of recent coups sacking democratic governance in some nations of the West African sub-region, we were persuaded Mr President held fast to democratic credentials that he reportedly defended from the trenches as chieftain of the National Democratic Coalition, NADECO, decades ago. Sadly, President Tinubu is now bemusing the nations he frowned at with his brazen assault on democracy in the Rivers State saga, in apparent power grab”.

“We are convinced that the removal of a governor/deputy is excluded from whatever extraordinary measures the President is constitutionally empowered to apply in declaring emergency rule where necessary, given clearly expressed constitutional provisions on removal of a governor. The application of “the express mention of a thing excludes the other” rule of statutes interpretation, makes Mr President’s lack of power to suspend the governor all the more clear. We therefore advise quick reversal of the emergency rule to restoration of democratic rule”, the Ijaw journalists advised.

“We are sorely grieved that the Godswill Akpabio-led Senate and the House of Representatives making up the National Assembly equally ignored the sacred two-thirds majority tenet of the 1999 Nigerian constitution as amended, in their unconstitutional voice vote endorsement of President Tinubu’s coup against democracy dressed as state of emergency”, the IJAW statement lamented.

“We remain baffled that President Tinubu, who for years, sees himself as a democrat and Nyesom Wike were egged on into this democratic perfidy by a curious February 28, 2025 Supreme Court judgement which allegedly defied several known principles of law and hence deprecated by a staggering and unprecedented array of legal/judicial experts. The casualties of the infamous judgement are therefore not only the Ijaws or Rivers people. Nigeria is in a huge fall under watch of President Bola Tinubu”, the journalists stated.

“We have noted that FCT Minister, Wike said if the law speaks, ‘Asawana’ dies. The Ijaw Journalists Association Worldwide, IJAW, remind Wike that throughout history, the Ijaws have never allowed selves to be enslaved by unjust laws like the Supreme Court outing on February 28, 2025 on Rivers State. President Tinubu’s full release of the Rivers State federal allocation held back by the Supreme Court, to a Sole Administrator of Emergency Rule instructed to report to him exposes Mr President’s subsisting surreptitious moves with Wike to corner the resources via security votes to prosecute his 2027 presidential ambition in Rivers State. Wike and his likes should be informed that ‘Asawana’ is known to be an immortal cry for justice and will continue to live to protest unjust laws”, the IJAW statement informed.