Former Bayelsa State Governor and serving senator, Henry Seriake Dickson, has strongly rejected the state of emergency declaration in Rivers State, calling it unconstitutional and a dangerous precedent for Nigeria’s democracy.
He also accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of attempting to censor him during the Senate’s discussions on the matter.
In a statement shared on his X page on Friday, Dickson revealed that he voiced his objections during a closed-door session of the Senate, arguing that the emergency rule failed to meet constitutional requirements.
“As I have stated repeatedly, I raised my objections in the closed session on how the declaration fell short of constitutional prescription, based on my views as a democrat sworn to uphold the Nigerian Constitution,” he stated.
Dickson lamented that the Senate did not allow a full debate on the emergency rule during its plenary session, claiming that a majority of senators had already been swayed to support it.
“I left the plenary before the Senate President was directed to report the outcome because I didn’t want to be present while what I opposed was being reported,” he said.
Read also: ALGON endorses state of emergency in Rivers, calls for resolution of political crisis
He further disclosed that Senators Aminu Tambuwal, Enyinnaya Abaribe, and other lawmakers who shared his stance also staged a walkout in protest.
Dickson particularly praised Senator Tambuwal for his strong stand against the suspension of elected officials in Rivers State, calling it a violation of democratic principles.
“I want to thank Senator Aminu Waziri Tambuwal for his strong support of the unconstitutionality of the declaration, especially the aspect that deals with the suspension of the elected officials of the Rivers State government,” he stated.
In a major twist, Dickson accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of attempting to shut him down and misrepresenting his statements. He referenced a viral video showing their heated exchange before the session was moved behind closed doors.
“As I said on the floor, the Senate President was very unfair to me by trying to censor my freedom of expression and by deliberately misrepresenting the import of what I said in the broadcast on Wednesday, which was the same thing I said on the floor yesterday,” he said.
He described Akpabio’s actions as an unexpected attempt at intimidation, vowing that he would not be silenced.
“The Senate is a meeting of equals, and everyone should be respected just as we accord respect to the Chair,” he added.
Despite acknowledging ongoing efforts to adjust the terms of the emergency declaration, Dickson insisted that the fundamental constitutional issues remain unresolved.
“Though I acknowledge the effort being made by the leadership and President to moderate the terms of the declaration and to create a mechanism for oversight, theoretically, this does not counter the primary issue of constitutionality,” he noted.
He reaffirmed his commitment to defending democracy, urging Nigerians to resist any actions that threaten constitutional governance.
“For someone like me who has been in the trenches over the years, all these challenges are actually a call to duty, and I, therefore, implore all people of goodwill to come together and ensure that participatory democracy is promoted in our country,” he concluded.
