The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, Northwest Zone, has strongly condemned the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State and the suspension of elected officials by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, calling it an unconstitutional overreach.
In a press statement issued at the DAG Office, the coalition of civil society organizations rejected what they described as a reckless move that undermines Nigeria’s democratic principles.
According to the statement, the March 18 nationwide broadcast by the President announcing the emergency declaration was an affront to constitutional democracy and a violation of the sovereignty of Rivers State.
“The arbitrary removal of elected officials sets a dangerous precedent where the federal government can unlawfully take over the governance of any state under flimsy pretexts,” the Situation Room declared.
The coalition made three urgent demands:
- Immediate Reversal of the State of Emergency – The President must revoke the declaration and reinstate all elected officials.
- Public Apology to Rivers State and Nigerians – The government must acknowledge its unconstitutional actions and apologize.
- Protection of Democratic Institutions – The judiciary and relevant stakeholders must ensure that such overreach is not repeated.
“Rivers State Must Not Be Sacrificed”
Warning against a slide into authoritarianism, the civil society groups urged Nigerians, political parties, ethnic nationalities, and the international community to reject the illegal suspension of elected officials and defend democracy.
“If this illegality is allowed to stand, it will set a precedent for dictatorship and undermine Nigeria’s democratic stability,” the statement concluded.
The press statement was signed by leading civil society organizations across the Northwest, including CITAD (Kano), DRDI-DAG (Kano), ASATTAHIR International Foundation (Sokoto), JDPC (Sokoto), and several others.
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