Former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, has strongly criticized President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s decision to suspend elected officials in Rivers State, calling it an unconstitutional move that threatens Nigeria’s democratic federalism.

In a statement released on Tuesday, El-Rufai argued that the president’s actions lacked constitutional backing and represented a dangerous precedent for governance in the country.

He insisted that the Nigerian Constitution does not empower a sitting president to unilaterally suspend elected officials at the state level.

“There are things that are so clearly wrong that the justifications summoned in their defence fall flat. The decision of Mr. President to suspend the elected officials of the Rivers State Government is one of those. Our country’s Constitution does not support it precisely because it is dangerous to our system of democratic federalism for an elected president to assume and exercise powers to suspend elected officials at the state level,” El-Rufai stated.

He acknowledged the security challenges referenced by President Tinubu but maintained that addressing them should not come at the cost of dismantling democratic structures. He suggested that a state of emergency, limited to security operations, could have been declared instead of removing elected officials.

“The security issues cited in the President’s speech surely deserve the most serious attention and sustained efforts to contain the threats and preserve vital national infrastructure. That is a duty that we ought to vigorously support the security agencies to successfully discharge. A state of emergency could surely have been proclaimed to grant the relevant security agencies the extraordinary powers and necessary resources to enable them to address the problem. Extending the provisions of such an emergency regime to include the dismantling of democratic structures is a wanton aggression against democratic tenets and the rule of law,” he warned.

El-Rufai further referenced a Supreme Court ruling in Dariye vs. Attorney General of the Federation, which declared the suspension of elected officials unconstitutional, arguing that Tinubu’s actions directly contradict that precedent.

He urged the president to reconsider his decision, drawing attention to Tinubu’s own past stance as an opposition leader when he criticized former President Goodluck Jonathan’s declaration of a state of emergency in the North-East.

“It is my view that Mr. President should review this decision and return to the path of constitutionalism and the rule of law. As an opposition figure, Senator Bola Tinubu had made his voice heard against the decision of then President Goodluck Jonathan to declare a state of emergency in the North-East, even when that decision did not extend to the suspension of elected officials and institutions. A similar reconsideration is warranted in this case to contain the damage done to the people of Rivers State, and restore the Federal Government to compliance with the Constitution,” El-Rufai added.

Drawing historical parallels, El-Rufai warned that Nigeria risked repeating the mistakes of the 1962 emergency rule in the old Western Region, which led to political instability and long-term consequences. He called on patriotic Nigerians to speak out against what he described as a blatant violation of the Constitution.

“Let us not keep silent while the slippery slope of replicating the events of emergency rule in the old Western Region in 1962 unfolds before our very eyes. I appeal to all patriots and voices of reason to join in calling an end to this gross violation of the Constitution and disrespect for the rule of law.” he concluded.

Former Minister of Transportation and ex-Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, has strongly criticized President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s suspension of elected officials in Rivers State, describing it as an unconstitutional and undemocratic move aimed at seizing power.

Amaechi, who governed Rivers State from 2007 to 2015, argued that the President’s decision directly violates the Nigerian Constitution, particularly Section 188, which outlines the process for removing a state governor.

He insisted that no elected governor can be removed simply by a presidential proclamation.

He stated: “Unequivocally, I condemn the rather brazen and unilaterally reckless suspension and removal of the Governor of Rivers State, the Deputy Governor of Rivers State, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“With this singular move, Mr. President has technically suspended and truncated democracy in Rivers State. This clearly violates our Constitution, the same Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that Mr. President swore to uphold.”

“Section 188 of the Nigerian Constitution clearly stipulates how a state governor can be removed from office, and it does not include a fiat declaration, decree, or promulgation by Mr. President. Therefore, he cannot appropriate such powers to himself.

“A democratically elected state governor cannot be removed from office by a proclamation of Mr. President. The suspension of two key democratically elected arms of government in Rivers State by Mr. President evidently violates our Constitution, even within the scope and interpretation of Section 305, which the President cited in his broadcast.”

Amaechi further asserted that the suspension was an orchestrated attempt to impose control over Rivers State.

“The unlawful suspension of elected democratic institutions in my dear Rivers State points to a brazen attempt at a power grab in the state by forces and persons who do not have such constitutional powers. The unfolding events in Rivers State in the past months point to a clearly orchestrated plot by some persons to unconstitutionally perpetrate and impose themselves on the people.”

Expressing deep concern over what he termed a slide into totalitarianism, he urged politicians, governors, and lawmakers to resist the move.

“At this inauspicious moment in our nation’s trajectory, all people of goodwill and conscience should rise to oppose this audacious violation of our Constitution and rape of our democracy. Mr. President must be made to know and understand in unmistakable terms that this illegality cannot stand.

“Politicians across divides should speak up and rise to halt our nation’s descent into totalitarianism. State governors and legislators should speak up now. I urge the National Assembly to reject this illegality.”

Referencing his time as Rivers governor and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Amaechi emphasized the role governors can play in reversing the President’s decision.

“As a former state governor and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), I am not unaware of the role elected governors in the country can play to halt this descent and reverse the unlawful actions of Mr. President. I commend the governors that have spoken against the unlawful suspension.

“The suspension is a very dangerous affront to Nigeria’s Constitution and democracy.”

The House of Representatives has decided to revisit several bills from the previous legislative session that did not receive presidential approval before the end of the last Assembly.

This resolution came after lawmakers adopted a motion sponsored by Hon. Francis Ejiroghene Waive during Wednesday’s plenary, which was presided over by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu.

Among the bills slated for reconsideration are the National Youth Development Commission Bill, 2023; the Federal University of Education, Numan, Adamawa State (Establishment) Bill, 2025; the Federal University of Technology, Asaba, Delta State (Establishment) Bill, 2023; and the Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan Bill, 2023.

Others include the Environmental Health (Control) Bill, 2025; the FCT Health Insurance Agency (Establishment) Bill, 2025; the FCT Signage and Advertisement Agency (Establishment) Bill, 2025; the Nigerian Independent Warehouse Regulatory Agency (Establishment) Bill; and the FCT Transport Authority (Establishment) Bill, 2025.

Hon. Waive explained that these bills had either been passed by the House and sent to the Senate for concurrence, passed by the Senate and sent to the House, or forwarded to the President for assent but were not signed before the end of the last legislative session.

He stated: “Notes that, pursuant to Order Twelve, Rule 17 (a), (b), (c) & (d) of the Standing Orders, the House may, upon being re-gazetted or circulated, reconsider in the Committee of the Whole, without commencing de novo, the Bill(s) whose report was presented by the Committee before consideration; (b) passed by the House and forwarded to the Senate for concurrence, for which no concurrence was made or was negatived; (c) passed by the Senate and forwarded to the House, for which no concurrence was made or was negatived; or (d) passed by the preceding Assembly and forwarded to the President for assent but for which assent or withholding thereof was not communicated before the end of the tenure of the preceding Assembly.”

“Also notes that the aforementioned bills were passed by the preceding Assembly and forwarded to the President for assent but for which assent or withholding thereof was not communicated before the end of the tenure of the last Assembly.”

“Aware that the bills were read for the first time as HBs. 119, 936, 903, 1264, 1265, 1477, 1497, 1480, and 1552, respectively.”

Following these observations, the House has resolved to recommit the bills to the Committee of the Whole for further deliberation.

President Bola Tinubu has officially sworn in Vice Admiral Ibok-ete Ibas (rtd.) as the Sole Administrator of Rivers State.

The appointment was finalized following a brief meeting with the president on Wednesday afternoon.

In a nationwide broadcast on Tuesday, President Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, suspending Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu, and the members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

The president cited Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution as his authority to act, emphasizing that he could no longer stand by while the political turmoil in Rivers escalated.

The decision to suspend Fubara and other elected representatives has drawn widespread condemnation from notable figures and groups—including Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Femi Falana, the Labour Party (LP), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the Nigerian Bar Association—while the pro-Nyesom Wike Assembly, led by Martins Amaewhule, has welcomed the emergency measures, accusing Fubara of defying a Supreme Court ruling on the state’s political crisis.

Ibas, who served as Chief of Naval Staff from 2015 to 2021, hails from Cross River, where he also completed his early education.

He began his illustrious career at the Nigerian Defence Academy in 1979 and steadily ascended through the naval ranks.

A respected member of both the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs and the Nigerian Institute of Management, Ibas was honored with the National Honour of Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) in 2022 by President Muhammadu Buhari, who initially appointed him as Chief of Naval Staff.

The Senate has postponed its morning agenda by stepping down a motion aimed at approving the state of emergency declared in Rivers State until 3pm, with no detailed explanation offered for the delay.

The motion—sponsored by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele—was slated for debate and a vote during the morning session, but lawmakers unexpectedly decided to defer the discussion.

According to the motion, there is a “clear worry over the escalating tensions, which have paralyzed the state and hindered the delivery of democratic dividends to its residents.”

It further notes that there is a significant concern as some militants “had threatened fire and brimstone with security report of disturbing incidents of vandalization of oil pipelines.”

The document adds that the Senate is “convinced that there is the need to provide adequate and extra ordinary measures to restore good governance, peace, order and security in Rivers State.”

For the emergency declaration to be enacted, the Senate needs a two-thirds majority—73 out of 109 senators.

This development follows President Bola Tinubu’s Tuesday proclamation of a state of emergency in Rivers State amid an ongoing political crisis.

During a nationwide broadcast, President Tinubu suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and all members of the House of Assembly for six months, while appointing retired Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas as the state administrator for the initial six-month period.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio on Tuesday visited the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, at his residence in Abuja.

The visit was made public through a statement by the minister’s spokesperson, Lere Olayinka, on X (formerly Twitter).

Olayinka wrote, “The Uncommon Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, during his visit to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, in his residence today.”

As at the time of filing this report, no official statement has been released regarding the purpose of the meeting.