Former President Goodluck Jonathan and Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka have both criticized the suspension of elected officials in Rivers State.

Jonathan expressed that this action could tarnish Nigeria’s reputation, while Soyinka argued that it undermines the principles of federalism.

On March 18, President Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, citing a breakdown in governance due to ongoing conflicts between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and state lawmakers, as well as attacks on oil facilities.

As part of this emergency declaration, Tinubu suspended:

Governor Fubara
Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu
Members of the state House of Assembly

He appointed Ibok-Ette Ibas, a retired Chief of Naval Staff, as the state’s sole administrator. This decision was supported by Section 305 of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution (as amended).

Just 48 hours after the emergency was declared, the National Assembly approved the rule, although some lawmakers voiced their opposition.

Many stakeholders, including governors from the Peoples Democratic Party, the Nigerian Bar Association, the Nigeria Labour Congress, Senior Advocates of Nigeria, and various civil society organizations, have condemned the emergency rule.

At the Haske Satumari Foundation Colloquium in Abuja on Saturday, Jonathan expressed his disappointment over the removal of elected officials, emphasizing the importance of maintaining democratic governance in Rivers State.

“These actions by key actors in the executive and legislative arms of government paint the country in a negative light,” Jonathan, who was the chairman of the programme, said.

The former president said that the country’s image and ability to attract investors depends on how well the government works. He blamed the executive, legislature, and judiciary for the problems in Rivers state, saying they abused their power.

“The key actors in Nigeria from the executive to the legislature and the judiciary know the correct thing to do but they are refusing to do it; they are pretending to sleep, and waking such a person is extremely difficult because the person knows the right thing.

“A clear abuse of offices, clear abuse of power, clear abuse of privileges, cutting across the three arms of government — from the executive through the parliament and to the judiciary,” Jonathan said.

Former President Jonathan defended his declaration of a state of emergency in three North-East states, saying it was necessary due to the Boko Haram insurgency.

He acknowledged that it was unusual for former presidents to comment on such issues, but felt compelled to speak out due to persistent calls from Nigerians.

He also criticized the judiciary, stating that it was difficult to have faith in it when an individual dictated its actions. Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka disagreed with Jonathan’s actions, arguing that the declaration betrayed federalism and that the 1999 constitution granted too much power to the president. He called for a national discussion on amending the constitution to ensure a genuine federal system.

He said, “If it is constitutionally right, then I think it is about time we sat down and amended the constitution to make sure that it operates as a genuine federal entity.

“The government is over-centralised. The debate will go on whether this (state of emergency) was, in the first place, a wise decision but in terms of fundamental principles, I believe that this is against the federal spirit of association.

“I find that the constitution has put too much power in the hands of the president. The system we are operating right now is not the best for a pluralistic society like ours. That is a fundamental principle I have always held.”

He stated that Nigeria must hold a national conference to change the country’s foundation, adding, “The federal spirit of association is a cardinal principle and, for that reason, some of us have called again and again for a national conference to really accord ourselves an authentic people’s constitution. Right now, in principle, this action is against the federal imperative.”

Temitope Ajayi, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, responded by stating that while Soyinka and Jonathan are respected statesmen, their opinions are personal.

Wole Soyinka 

He said, “Professor Wole Soyinka and former President Goodluck Jonathan are respected statesmen. Like many Nigerians that have offered varied opinions on the President’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, the two distinguished Nigerians have also offered their own opinions too.

“President Tinubu has a country to govern, and he has exercised his power under the 1999 Constitution as amended.

“President Tinubu has a duty to preserve the corporate existence of Nigeria. He won’t allow any part of the country or state to descend into chaos.

“The Supreme Court ruled that there is no functioning government in Rivers State known to the constitution of Nigeria. President Tinubu won’t fail in his sacred duty to protect and preserve the country.”

Aisha Yesufu, a co-convener of the #BringBackOurGirls movement, and other prominent human rights activists demanded the reversal of the emergency rule. They criticized the President’s action, calling it illegal and a violation of the constitution.

The activists, under the aegis of the Citizens and Civil Society Organisations, held a press conference in Abuja on Saturday to condemn the National Assembly’s approval of the emergency rule. They accused the Assembly of failing the people.

Yesufu expressed concern, warning that allowing the President and the National Assembly to impose the emergency rule would set a dangerous precedent.

She said, “I am sure every Nigerian feels sadness at what is happening currently in our country. The democracy that we have today—a lot of people died for it. It is only fair that we safeguard our democracy and ensure that the rule of law remains sacrosanct and that processes are followed in everything being done.

“We have to understand that if we do not fix this polity and say it’s none of our business, the things happening in Nigeria today will continue to happen, where a few citizens who are supposedly elected into office to serve the people begin to serve only their self-interest.

“Fellow citizens, we must understand that under a democracy, the constitution is sacrosanct, and it must be followed to the letter. This is not the democracy that a lot of people fought for, and some died for us to have. This constitutional rascality has to stop.”

Anthony Ubani, Executive Director of FixPolitics, representing 300 other coalitions, denounced the state of emergency. He declared it a betrayal of the democratic ideals cherished by every true Nigerian. Ubani vowed to challenge the president’s actions through a series of legal battles in the coming days.

“We demand an immediate reversal of the unconstitutional removal of the governor, deputy governor, and House of Assembly members in Rivers State. The president does not have the power to arbitrarily dismiss elected state officials. His actions are dictatorial and illegal and must be resisted by all Nigerians.

“We call on members of the National Assembly who were not part of Thursday’s charade to speak up against the violation of the constitution. The National Assembly is the highest law-making body in the country, and they must not be allowed to get away with choosing which of Nigeria’s laws they want to obey.

“There will be several lawsuits in the coming days, and we require the judiciary to review each case on its merit and not rely on technicalities to dismiss the cases. History has shown that when unconstitutional acts like this go unchallenged, they become the norm. If Rivers is silenced today, no state is safe tomorrow,” he stated.

Rights Groups Mobilization

The Take-It-Back Movement, a human rights organization, has announced plans for a nationwide protest on April 7 to oppose the emergency rule in Rivers State.

The group’s National Coordinator, Sanyaolu Juwon, shared this information with Sunday PUNCH. He criticized President Tinubu’s administration, claiming it is pushing Nigeria towards authoritarianism. Juwon emphasized that the President’s actions in Rivers State, such as suspending elected officials, are setting the stage for a potential military dictatorship.

“Our organisation has been at the forefront of resisting all anti-people policies of Tinubu, and we will keep doing that. We are planning a nationwide protest for April 7, targeted directly against Tinubu’s misgovernance and the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State.

“We are going to use the protest to address the fact that Tinubu’s government is leading the country towards dictatorship, not just with the development in Rivers State and what he did in Lagos State, but how his regime has handled the entire country, silencing the voice of opposition,” he stated.

The recent emergency rule in Rivers State has sparked widespread criticism and calls for action.

Several groups, including the Youth Rights Campaign and the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, have condemned the move as an attack on democracy and a silencing of opposition voices. They are concerned that this is part of a larger pattern of Tinubu’s government moving towards a dictatorship.

The Democratic Socialist Movement has called for a mass protest against the emergency rule, urging the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress to lead the effort. They believe the emergency rule is a direct attack on the democratic rights of the people of Rivers State.

He said, “They should also mobilise for mass action to condemn the unconstitutional pronouncement by President Tinubu and the approval by the National Assembly.

“All civil society organisations should come together to organise action to defend democracy. Fubara was a product of the overbearing character of Nyesom Wike.

“One person can’t take away the rights of the people of Rivers State. This is like a coup on the people of the state. We condemn this. We support every action to defend democratic rights.”

Adewale urged the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress to participate in the mass action protesting the sabotage of democratic rights.

He said, “All civil society organisations should come together to organise action to defend democracy. One person can’t take away the rights of the people of Rivers State. This is like a coup on the people of the state. We condemn this. We support every action to defend democratic rights.”

In an upcoming Executive bill, politicians convicted of tax evasion would be prohibited from running for elective positions.

Politicians defaulting tax to be barred from contesting.

“We’re moving beyond a tax clearance certificate, which can be easily obtained. Effective compliance involves a thorough examination of tax declarations, filings, and payments to determine if a candidate is genuinely fulfilling his tax responsibilities as outlined in the constitution.

“This issue arose during the last election. The argument was that the constitution doesn’t explicitly list tax compliance as a qualification criterion. We’re rectifying this oversight to ensure financial responsibility among those seeking public office.”

During the commissioning of the seventh FCT project as part of activities marking President Bola Ahmed Tinubu‘s one year in office, Minister Nyesom Wike clarified that he requested permanent secretaries to bow before the President as a gesture of gratitude for his role in their career advancement.

Reason for Directing Permanent Secretaries to Bow Before Tinubu – Wike

Wike emphasized that it is a mark of respect to bow before the nation’s leader and expressed disapproval towards those who criticized his decision.

According to him, “Two days ago, when the President came, we tried to thank him for what he did in making sure that those who had already lost hope in their career progression got to the peak of their career.

“Before now, FCTA did not have permanent secretaries. But with Mr. President’s way of Renewed Hope, he said they must get to the peak of their career by getting to the position of permanent secretary and Head of the Civil Service, if possible. Mr President granted that and then I called out the permanent secretaries who are the beneficiaries to come out and take a bow and thank Mr President.

“It is an honour to be called out to take a bow but some human beings can never see anything good. Instead, they are criticising, saying, ‘How will you call people who are Permanent Secretaries and ask them to take a bow?’”

To emphasize his point, the minister then called the six area council chairmen, who he referred to as key figures driving the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda, to also acknowledge the President.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the Edo state governorship election which took place on Saturday, 21 September.

APC’s Okpebholo Wins Edo Governorship Election

INEC’s Returning Officer for the poll, Professor Faruk Kuta, who announced the results, said Okpebholo polled 291,667 votes to defeat Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who got 247,274 votes and Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party (LP) who came a distant third in the race with 22,763 votes. Fourteen other candidates contested the seat but got less than the three leading candidates.

“That Okpebholo Monday of APC having satisfied the requirement of the law is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected,” Kuta, the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, in Niger State, said

In line with his commitment to significantly leverage gas to grow the economy, President Bola tinubu  will commission three critical gas infrastructure projects being undertaken by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and partners.

PRESIDENT TINUBU TO COMMISSION CRITICAL GAS INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS

The projects support the federal government’s effort to grow value from the nation’s gas assets while eliminating gas flaring.

The delivery of the projects was accelerated from the inception of the administration in keeping with the overall objective of deepening domestic gas supply as a critical enabler for economic prosperity.

THE PROJECTS

The projects lined up for commissioning include:

(1) AHL Gas Processing Plant 2 (GPP – 2) – 200mmscf/d

This project is an expansion to the Kwale Gas Processing Plant (GPP – 1), which currently supplies about 130MMscf/d of gas to the domestic market. The processing plant is designed to process 200MMscf/d of rich gas and deliver lean gas through the OB3 Gas Pipeline. This additional gas supply will support further rapid industrialization of Nigeria. The plant will also produce about 160,000 MTPA of Propane and 100,000 MTPA of Butane, which will reduce the dependency on LPG Imports. The AHL Gas Plant is being developed by AHL Limited, an incorporated Joint Venture owned by NNPC Limited and SEEPCO.

(2) ANOH Gas Processing Plant (AGPC) – 300MMscf/d

The ANOH gas plant is an integrated 300MMscf/d capacity gas processing plant designed to process non-associated gas from the Assa North-Ohaji South field in Imo State. The plant will produce dry gas, condensate, and LPG. The gas from ANOH gas plant will significantly increase domestic gas supply, leading to increased power generation and accelerated industrialization. The ANOH Gas Plant is being developed by ANOH Gas Processing Company, an incorporated Joint Venture owned by NNPC Limited and Seplat Energy Plc on a 50-50 basis.

(3) ANOH-OB3 CTMS Gas Pipeline Project

The project involves the engineering, procurement, and construction of 36”x23.3km ANOH-OB3 Project. The Transmission Gas Pipeline will evacuate dry gas from the Assa North-Ohaji South (ANOH) primary treatment facility (PTF) to OB3 Custody Transfer Metering Station (CTMS) for delivery into the OB3 pipeline system. About 600MMscf/d is estimated to be available from two separate 2 x 300MMscf/d capacity gas processing production trains from AGPC & SPDC JV.

When commissioned, the projects will increase gas supply to the domestic market by approximately 500mmscf/d, creating a better investment climate and promoting balanced economic growth cumulatively.

Chief Ajuri Ngelale

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

May 3, 2024