The Coalition of Opposition Political Leaders led by former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachair Lawal, and some leaders of the Labour Party (LP) have rejected the introduction of a state of emergency in Rivers State.
They made this known during a briefing in Abuja on Thursday, saying President Tinubu’s action is unconstitutional.
According to the coalition, the section of the Constitution that the President relied upon to declare a state of emergency in Rivers was wrongly applied.
The Coalition who asked for the immediate reversal of the action called on the National Assembly to reject the declaration and the judiciary to swiftly intervene by striking down the move.
The Coalition called on the Federal Government not to manufacture a political crisis that could threaten the fragile stability in the Niger Delta.
It could be recalled that President Bola Tinubu had on Tuesday declared a statement of emergency in Rivers State following the political crisis in the oil-rich state.
The President also suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara; his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and the members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for six months.
Following the declaration, President Tinubu appointed and sworn-in Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (rtd) as the sole administrator of the state on Wednesday at the State House, Abuja.
BASIRAT MEMUDU
