Southern & Middle Belt Leaders Forum Condemns Emergency Rule And Dictatorial Impeachment Of Gov. Fubara

The SMBLF observed that the grounds contained in the Notice of Impeachment of the Governor and his Deputy published by the Rivers State House of Assembly a day before are to all intents and purposes deliberate rehearsals of the reasons given by the President for his unconstitutional take over of the Government of Rivers State.

On Wednesday 19th March, 2025, in Abuja, the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF) stated,

“That notwithstanding pretences to the contrary and pandering to judicial pronouncements in denial the world is not deceived that the House of Assembly, which published the Notice of Impeachment is constituted by 27 members who have defected and become members of the President’s political party and that the declaration of the State of Emergency is only a perfection of the impeachment conspiracy.”

“That by its service of Notice of Impeachment and adjournment of the House of Assembly sine die thereby frustrating the implementation of the judgment of the Supreme Court in the running of the affairs of the state, members of the House of Assembly  of the same Political Party with the President are responsible for the present situation of  “the good people of the state not being able to have access to the dividends of democracy” as alleged by the President.”

“That it is most unfortunate that President Tinubu would  unconstitutionally terminate a democratically elected administration on the flimsy ground that “some  militants had threatened fire and brimstone against their perceived enemy of the governor who has up till now NOT disowned them” without investigation of the alleged culpability of the Governor.”

“That in a federation in which the President is vested with absolute powers over security and the federating states denied of any role therein,  it is most unfair that the President would hold Governor Fubara responsible for the  failure of proactive security intelligence under his command which obviously led to what he described as “disturbing incidents of vandalization of pipelines by some militants without the governor taking any action to curtail them”.

“That there is no provision in the  Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria including section 305 (5) under whichPresident Tinubu claimed to have derived his authority which allows  the Federal Government to take-over the government of any of  the federating states.”

“The only situation wherein governance of a state may be interfered with is provided in section 11 (4)  to which section 305 is subject that “at any time when any House of Assembly of a State is unable to perform its functions by reason of the situation prevailing in that State  the National Assembly may exercise  powers to make such laws for the peace and good government of a state with respect to matters on which a House of Assembly may make laws as may appear to the National Assembly to be necessary or expedient until l such time as the House of Assembly is able to resume its functions; and any such laws enacted by the National Assembly pursuant to this section shall have effect as if they were laws enacted by the House of Assembly of the State: Provided that nothing in this section shall be construed as conferring on the National Assembly power to remove the Governor or the Deputy Governor of the State from office”.

“That there is no doubt that the members of the Rivers State House of Assembly whose fate, in the wake of their defection to the President’s party, is still subject of litigation, are presently,  in cahoots with the Minister of the FCT, responsible for the inability of the State Assembly to perform its functions for which reason the National Assembly may feel justifiably called upon to make laws for the state in the interim.”

“That the decision by the President to sack the democratically elected Government and appoint a military Administrator to take charge of the affairs of the state by regulations  subject to the consideration and approval by the Federal Executive Council is an undisguised and provocative handing over of Rivers State to its immediate past Governor and Minister of the FCT whose appetite for continuing ruling of the state by proxy is sought to be thereby quenched.”

The SMBLF recalled that during the hey days of insurgency in the North East, President Goodluck Jonathan in conjunction with the National Assembly declared a state of emergency in Borno,  Adamawa and Yobe states in 2013 without hurting the democratic structures of which the present  Vice President who was then Governor of Borno State, in spite of his open hostility to the President, was a beneficiary.”

“That the National Assembly in the exercise of its powers under the Constitution particularly Sections 305 thereof  is hereby called upon to countermand the despotic and ominous order of the President sacking a democratically elected administration in preference of a military Administrator in a proclamation reminiscent of our unenviable not too distant past.”

“The Youths of River State, and indeed that of the Niger Delta, should restrain from using violent reactions to this unfortunate development, as in the end its the citizenry that will pay the price of any economic sabotage.

That the citizens of Nigeria should stoutly discourage the growing culture of intolerance under the present administration tending Nigeria to a one-party state.”

Issued at Abuja this 19th day of March 2025

Signed by: