The Chairman of the Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Peter Okocha, has commended the suit filed before the Supreme Court challenging the 18 March declaration of a state of emergency in the South-South state by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Checks revealed that seven governors from the main opposition party are challenging the six-month suspension of the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, before the apex court. The governors of Bauchi, Adamawa, Bayelsa, Enugu, Osun, Plateau, and Zamfara states, through their Attorneys-General, urged the Supreme Court to declare that “the President has no powers whatsoever or authority to suspend a democratically elected governor and deputy governor of a state in the Federation of Nigeria under the guise of or pursuant to the proclamation of a state of emergency in any state of the federation, including the states represented by the plaintiffs,” based on the provisions of Sections 1(2), 5(2), and 305 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
The governors also urged the apex court to declare that the President has no powers to suspend a democratically elected House of Assembly of a state pursuant to Sections 192 (4) (6) and 305 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).
They are further asking the court to declare that “the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly was unconstitutional, unlawful, and in gross violation of the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).”
Speaking to journalists on Thursday, Okocha stated that the Supreme Court’s pronouncement would ultimately enrich the nation’s jurisprudence. He also criticised the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) national leadership for expressing dissatisfaction with President Tinubu’s actions, noting that the body of lawyers remained silent when Governor Fubara demolished the Rivers State House of Assembly building.
He said: “What some people now say is that the suspension of the governor and assembly members is wrong. Thank God that I hear the PDP Governors’ Forum is approaching the Supreme Court. I’m sure you know that there has been no legislation whatsoever on the matter.
“Now that they have gone to the Supreme Court, it will enrich—whatever the outcome is—it will enrich the jurisprudence. I don’t want to take on individuals, but I hear the NBA have come out to say, oh, it’s an affront on democracy and all that. When the assembly complex was pulled down, when it was bombed, and the next day, 11 pieces of equipment were deployed to the assembly to bring it down—11.
“NBA was alive, but we didn’t hear anything from them. So one wonders why this plenty talk. It’s good that they are approaching the court, and so we should allow the Supreme Court to decide on the actions of Mr President.”
The Rivers State APC chairman blamed the Rivers State Elders for the current developments in the state, declaring that they encouraged Governor Fubara to abandon the initial peace accord signed by feuding parties in the state at the instance of President Tinubu.
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