A former Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, has criticized the recent imposition of a state of emergency on Rivers State by President Bola Tinubu.
The president had last Tuesday declared a state of emergency in the oil-rich state.
He also suspended Governor Siminilayi Fubara, his deputy, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly over the prolonged crisis.
The former governor in a statement shared on his X handle on Monday, argued that the move was an aberration that is unknown to the Nigerian Constitution.
He stressed that the release of Rivers withheld allocations to the state’s Sole Administrator, Vice-Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd), despite subsisting order from the Supreme Court was a dangerous precedent that is capable of eroding the country’s hard earned democracy.
Ibas on Friday confirmed the release of the withheld local government allocations to the government.
Obi wrote: “What is happening in the country today as it relates to River State is an aberration, unknown to our Constitution and must be condemned by every discerning mind.
“What we are witnessing in Rivers State is a brazen disobedience and disregard for the rule of law and our democratic principles.
“The decision to release statutory allocations to an appointed Sole Administrator, despite a standing order of the Supreme Court, is not just unlawful — it is a direct challenge to the authority of the highest court of our country.
“The Supreme Court had explicitly barred the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF) from releasing these funds until a properly constituted House of Assembly passes a valid Appropriation Act.
“Yet, we see a situation where this order is being ignored. This raises serious moral intentions, and questions of what is happening in Rivers State.
“By disregarding the judgment of the Supreme Court, those involved are setting a dangerous precedent. The CBN and AGF, institutions meant to uphold the law, should not be complicit in this disregard for our judiciary.
“We cannot build a nation where those who swore oaths to uphold our constitution and obey the laws are doing the opposite.
“This is about more than just Rivers State; it is about protecting the very fabric of our democracy, and our existence as a nation.
“A country cannot function where the rule of law is trampled upon, where the separation of powers is disregarded, and where judicial decisions are treated as mere suggestions.
“If we continue this way, we are undermining the future of our democracy. We must choose to do the right thing — to respect the law and uphold the principles that bind us as a nation.”
