The Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) has described the approval of Emergency Rule in Rivers State by the House of Representatives, through a voice vote, as a betrayal of the Rivers people.
The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, said the entire process was a charade and has confirmed fears that this National Assembly has failed to live up to the expectations of the people of Nigeria as a parliament mandated to exercise checks on the excesses of the federal government.
Ologunagba, in an interview with Daily Sun, insisted that the declaration of emergency rule in Rivers State, and suspension of elected officials, by President Bola Tinubu is unconstitutional and invalid, noting that President Bola Tinubu has succeeded in throwing Rivers State into chaos.
“It is indeed a charade. It is a sad day for Nigeria and democracy, that something as important that concerns the life of the people as the declaration of state of emergency is being trivialized by the National Assembly.
“We have stated it all along that this National Assembly has failed Nigerians in terms of being a check on the executive. Now, it (our view) has been confirmed by this charade. It is a betrayal of the Nigerian people, who voted to elect them for the purpose of being a watch dog and ensuring that the constitution and its provisions are adhered to by the Executive, in particular and even the National Assembly.
“It is sad and we watched with amazement. It is really sad for democracy. And today will enter the annals of Nigerian democratic practice and history as one of the worst,” he lamented.
“The country is drifting, if we are not careful, towards totalitarianism. We need to know where all our representatives stand on this issue. And for the House to go by voice vote, where the lives of the people of Rivers State are concerned, over 10 million residents, that is a betrayal of the Nigerian people, especially for Rivers people,” Ologunagba added.
“The people voted for their leaders as expected under the constitution. But when you have a charade that brings in somebody who is completely alien to the governance and people of Rivers State, it is sad.
“Mr. President has succeeded in bringing chaos to Rivers. We condemn it. The idea of its declaration is unconstitutional. It is invalid and we maintain that position. The President has no such power to relieve democratically elected officials of their duties. What they are trying to do is to abrogate the constitution, where somebody will be spending resources without the authorization and the authority as envisaged under the constitution.”
According to Ologunagba, the only ” hope is that the judiciary will step forward; hoping that the issues that concern the interpretation of the power of the President to declare state of emergency with regard to Section 305 sub section 2 and all other ancillary provisions of the Constitution will be clear over time.”
