Doherty writes NASS, says Rivers’ emergency rule “extreme, uncalled for”

Funso Doherty, Lagos-based politician and former gubernatorial candidate, has strongly opposed President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, warning that the suspension of the elected government is unconstitutional and violates Nigeria’s democratic principles.

In separate letters addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas, dated March 19, 2025, Doherty called on the National Assembly to reject the aspect of the proclamation that seeks to suspend Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and the state legislature.

Read also: State of emergency: Can the president suspend a governor? Here’s what the constitution says

“We are all aware that the President has the power to declare a state of emergency, subject to concurring authorization by the National Assembly that must be obtained within a defined timeframe to remain valid,” he stated.

However, he emphasised that legal experts, including the Nigerian Bar Association, have clarified that “nothing in the constitutional provisions empowers the President or the Federal Government to suspend the Government of a State within the Federal Republic that was duly elected by its people.”

Doherty further argued that the move contradicts a Supreme Court ruling, which reaffirmed that state governments cannot unilaterally remove elected local government officials. He warned that the President’s action represents an “extreme” and “uncalled-for” intervention that undermines Nigeria’s federal structure and separation of powers.

“Accordingly, this element of the President’s declaration must be unequivocally rejected by the National Assembly as, in my opinion, it is extreme, uncalled for in the circumstances, and a violation of our federating principles as envisaged in the constitution,” he wrote.

Doherty’s objection adds to growing resistance against the federal government’s emergency measures in Rivers State, which have sparked concerns about political interference and the erosion of democratic governance.