By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

ABUJA– Legal practitioners in the country have described as hasty, President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State after he slammed a six-month suspension on Governor Siminalaye Fubara.

Reacting to the development on Tuesday, lawyers who spoke to Vanguard, noted that though section 305 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, empowered the President to make such declaration, they however argued that the constitutional provision was hastily activated.

According to a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Mr. Mohammed Abeny, President Tinubu’s action may be unconstitutional.

Reacting to the development in Rivers State, the learned silk, said: “It is unconstitutional and ultra Vires the President.

“The Rivers State Governor was elected into office by the Rivers State people in accordance with the Constitution and can only be removed in accordance with the Constitution. This is my view on the matter for now pending further details.”

Equally reacting to the development, a former Chairman of the Governing Council of the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, decried that the country was “already maxed out on military deployment for internal security operations.”

He alleged that President Tinubu and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike “are clearly edging the NigerDelta to what will be an invented crisis of entirely their own making.”

Likewise, a human rights lawyer, Mr. Maxwell Asiegbu, urged the National Assembly to intervene in the matter.

He said: “The procedure to be followed for the declaration of a state of emergency is provided for in section 305 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

“It states that the President, subject to provisions of the Constitution, may by instrument published in the official Gazette of the Government of the Federation, issue a proclamation of a state of emergency in the Federation or any part thereof.




https://www.vanguardngr.com/2025/03/state-of-emergency-tinubus-action-hasty-lawyers/