Former labour leaders in Rivers State have denounced the ongoing state of emergency declared by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a “civilian coup,” describing the move as a dangerous assault on democracy and the Nigerian constitution.
They condemned what they called “the brazen and fragrant desecration of democracy” following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency and suspension of the elected state government.
The group, led by Achese Igwe, former National President of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), and Comrade Benneth Kalio, former Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in the state, made this known during a press conference held Thursday in Port Harcourt.
They insisted that the move represents a hostile takeover and an invitation to military-style dictatorship.
“Tomorrow, April 18, marks exactly one month since President Tinubu, in a most undesirable and absurd pronouncement, declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, suspending the democratically elected Governor Sir Siminalayi Fubara, his Deputy, Prof. Ngozi Ordu, and members of the State House of Assembly for six months,” Igwe said.
“The sole administrator has set out on a mission of dismantling existing democratic structures in the state, arbitrarily appointing local government council heads, dissolving and reconstituting boards, commissions, and governing councils. This is nothing short of a sinister state capture agenda.”
The former labour leaders also faulted the National Assembly for what they termed a “rubber stamp” endorsement of the emergency declaration via voice vote rather than the constitutionally mandated two-thirds majority, calling the process a blatant disregard for democratic procedure.
They warned that the precedent being set in Rivers State threatens not only the state’s stability but the democratic fabric of the nation, urging the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to immediately mobilize against what they described as an unjust imposition on the people of Rivers State.
“It is our strongest opinion that organised labour, especially in Rivers State, as a key stakeholder in the democratic and economic emancipation of the state, should not fold its arms while the state burns,” Kalio added.
The Forum also questioned the selective application of emergency rule, highlighting that states grappling with far worse security crises were not subjected to such drastic measures.
“It is glaring that this decision was taken in bad faith against the people of Rivers State,” the statement emphasised, further asserting that the state’s role in Nigeria’s unity and economy is too significant to be sidelined.
They urged President Tinubu to reverse the decision, reinstating the suspended elected officials in the interest of peace, justice, and constitutional order.
The group reiterated its solidarity with the people of Rivers State and urged the press to remain vigilant and apolitical as the guardians of democracy.
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