A prominent legal analyst has raised serious constitutional concerns over the National Assembly’s endorsement of the federal government’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, warning that the move may violate Section 114 of the Nigerian Constitution.
“While listening to the Senate President, I heard him refer to Section 114, and I thought that section should have raised a fundamental question — can the National Assembly legally ratify a declaration that suspends an elected governor, his deputy, and the state’s legislative assembly?”
He emphasized that the proviso of Section 114 clearly states that “the National Assembly cannot remove a governor or his deputy.”
“If we’re truly a nation committed to obeying our laws, then the laws are staring us in the face — something is fundamentally wrong with rubber-stamping that resolution.”
DIALOGUE, NOT DECREES
The speaker also backed the Nigerian Bar Association’s position that the Rivers crisis cannot be resolved through emergency powers or federal overreach.
“There’s a proposal to involve eminent Nigerians in dialogue — and that’s exactly what this situation demands.”
He called for political maturity and urgent negotiation between all parties, accusing the power brokers of prioritizing ego over governance.
A STATE HELD HOSTAGE TO POLITICAL EGO
“What we are witnessing in Rivers is not leadership. It’s a contest of egos — who blinks first, who wins the power struggle, who can pull the stronger string to remove the other from power.”
“And in all of this, the people don’t count. Their welfare, their security — completely sidelined.”
The comments highlight growing discomfort within the legal and civic community about the federal handling of Rivers State — and amplify the call for dialogue over dictatorship, democracy over decree.
