The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has declared that Siminalayi Fubara remains the duly elected Governor of Rivers State, dismissing President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency as unconstitutional and null and void.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday following an emergency National Working Committee (NWC) meeting, PDP National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Debo Ologunagba, accused Tinubu of overstepping his constitutional powers by attempting to remove a sitting governor.
“The purported suspension of Governor Fubara is unconstitutional, impracticable, invalid, and completely out of the question,” Ologunagba stated. “No provision of the Constitution empowers the President to dismantle a sub-national government or suspend a democratically elected governor under any circumstances.”
The PDP insisted that Tinubu’s actions violated multiple provisions of the 1999 Constitution, including Sections 1(2), 14(2)(a), 180, 217(2)(b)(c), and 305(2), and accused him of attempting to impose an “undemocratic regime” in Rivers State.
Furthermore, the party condemned the President for bypassing the National Assembly, stressing that Section 305(2) of the Constitution mandates legislative approval before a state of emergency can take effect.
“Tinubu’s order for immediate implementation is a blatant violation of the Constitution,” Ologunagba asserted.
The PDP also decried the Federal Government’s recent revocation of its National Secretariat’s Right of Occupancy (R of O), calling it a deliberate attempt to stifle opposition.
“This attack on our land title is part of a broader scheme to weaken opposition forces and silence democracy in Nigeria,” the party warned.
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In response, the PDP issued the following demands:
The National Assembly must invoke its powers to halt Tinubu’s unconstitutional actions.
The military and security agencies should remain neutral and uphold democratic principles.
Nigerians and the international community must reject this assault on democracy.
“Governor Fubara remains the elected Governor of Rivers State,” the PDP reaffirmed. “President Tinubu must act as a resolver of crises, not an exacerbator of problems. Rivers State was at peace before this illegal declaration.”
The party vowed to resist what it called an unconstitutional takeover through all legal and democratic means, warning that Nigeria’s democracy is under threat.