A coalition of opposition political leaders, led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation Babachir Lawal, and key figures in the Labour Party (LP), has strongly condemned the imposition of a state of emergency in Rivers State.

President Bola Tinubu had declared the emergency rule on Tuesday, citing the ongoing political crisis in the oil-rich state. The declaration also saw the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for six months.

At a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday, the opposition coalition denounced the move as unconstitutional.

The group argued that the constitutional provision cited by the president to justify the state of emergency was misapplied. They demanded an immediate reversal of the declaration and called on the National Assembly to reject it. They also urged the judiciary to act swiftly in striking down the measure.

The coalition further appealed to civil society groups and ordinary Nigerians to stand in defence of democracy.

The opposition leaders warned that Nigeria must not forget the history of unrest in the Niger Delta, which had only been contained through the efforts and sacrifices of past administrations. They cautioned the Federal Government against orchestrating a political crisis that could jeopardise the region’s fragile stability.

Following the emergency declaration, Tinubu appointed retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas as the sole administrator of Rivers State and swore him in on Wednesday at the State House, Abuja.

Despite the widespread criticism, the Federal Government has defended Tinubu’s decision. According to Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Lateef Fagbemi, the emergency rule was, in effect, a lifeline for Governor Fubara, who was on the verge of impeachment by lawmakers.

“If the impeachment had been allowed to proceed, the governor would have been entirely removed from office.

“So, in a way, rather than allowing the impeachment to continue, which would have led to both the governor and his deputy being ousted for the remainder of their four-year term—leaving them with just two years and two months in office—the emergency rule serves as a form of intervention,” the AGF stated.