State of Emergency: NNPP condemns Rivers Sate Emergency declaration, calls it unconstitutional.
The New Nigeria People’s Party(NNPP) has criticized President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State.
In a statement released on Tuesday, NNPP’s National Publicity Secretary, Ladipo Johnson denounced the move as unconstitutional and a dangerous political precedent.
The party’s statement assessed the political climate in Rivers State, arguing that conditions had not deteriorated to a level justifying emergency rule. It suggested that political interests were at play and that a more reasonable resolution could have been sought instead.
NNPP also criticized the use of Section 305 of the 1999 constitution in this context. calling it arbitary amd concerning in terms of its precedent and implications for democracy and national development.
‘‘Of course, the presidential fiat invoking Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution is arbitrary in the circumstances, to say the least, particularly on the conditions precedent and implications for democracy and the development of the country.
“It is clearly a dangerous precedent, which can only be interpreted as an absurd political manipulation on the part of the Federal Government.
“Why the rush to proclaim a State of Emergency without the conditions precedent as required by law? Doesn’t the president’s action vitiate the rule of law he talked about in his speech? Hasn’t he, by this rash action, shown us that he does not fully understand the long-term implications and lacks the requisite skills required to rule a complex country like Nigeria? Or is it about his party’s much-touted political interest in Rivers State ahead of 2027?”
“These are questions germane to this unfortunate decision, which, of course, sends frightening signals both locally and internationally regarding the rule of law and the overall state of things in our union.”
The party suggested that the sequence of Tinubu’s speech hinted at a politically motivated move, revealing the state of emergency as a strategic maneuver rather than a necessary action.
“Yes, this rational deduction could be gleaned even from the sequence of his speech, which gives away the Emergency Rule proclamation as a political orchestration toward a political end.
“This sort of action was what the NNPP had warned Nigerians and the people of Kano against, which it saw being orchestrated by some evil forces during the Emirate crisis. But for the maturity of the Governor and the good people of Kano State, who avoided being ‘tricked’ into taking their resistance onto the streets, the same scenario might have played out with an unjustifiable declaration of a State of Emergency on Kano State.
The party raised concerns about potential instability in the region, questioning whether recent incidents in the State indicate a looming crisis and how this might affect oil production , a key driver of the nation’s economy.
“Now, the challenge is how to deal with a possible implosion in the Niger Delta over this matter. Are we seeing signs of this, given the incidents in the state in the last few days and how this could affect oil production as the nation’s economic mainstay?”
Urging the presidency to reverse its decision, NNPP also called on the National Assembly to oppose what it described as a ”presidential coup” against the democratically elected government in Rivers Sate.
In conclusion, the party encouraged Nigerians to remain alert and resist any actions by the government or individuals that could threaten democracy, emphasizing that it was hard-earned and must be safeguarded against impunity, poor decisions and harmful policies.
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