A Port Harcourt-based legal practitioner, Mr. Princewill Dike, has commended President Bola Tinubu’s decision to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State, praising the move as a necessary step to avert potential chaos and violence in the region.
Dike, speaking in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, explained that the President acted within his constitutional powers under Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
He also referenced Section 14, subsection 2, which mandates the government to protect the lives and property of citizens across the country, including in Rivers State. According to Dike, the President’s decision was both timely and prudent, given the escalating tensions in the state.
The legal expert pointed out that the safety of citizens had been significantly jeopardized by the political instability arising from the Rivers State House of Assembly’s move to impeach Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Dike noted that threats from individuals and groups, particularly those from specific ethnic groups, were endangering both the lives of non-indigenes in the state and the security of key federal assets.
He further highlighted that these threats posed not only a serious danger to Rivers but could have broader ramifications for the entire nation. The potential for unrest, Dike warned, could spill over into other states if left unchecked.
Dike also expressed concern over the lack of action from the suspended Governor, who, despite the mounting threats, had not publicly condemned the violence or taken steps to ensure the arrest of those responsible.
He noted that even after the Supreme Court’s ruling, the governor had made unsettling remarks at an event, reassuring youths that he would provide instructions at the “appropriate time”—a statement Dike considered deeply troubling given the gravity of the situation.
Dike said: “The declaration of State of Emergency in Rivers State by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is in tune with Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).
“In addendum to the foregoing, Section 14, subsection 2 of the self-same grundnorm declares that the primary function of government is protection of lives and property.
“Now, question is: were lives and property threatened in Rivers State prior to the declaration of the State of Emergency? The answer is in the affirmative!
“The suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, the leadership of Ijaw National Congress, and some militants had threatened violence should Fubara be impeached. And soon after that, some oil facilities were blown up.
“Again, Governor Fubara’s reluctance in presenting the 2025 Appropriation Bill to the Amaewhule-led House of Assembly as adjudicated by the Supreme Court, heightened tension in the wider spectrum of the state.
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“So, Mr. President acted proactively to forestall total breakdown of law and order in the state, and didn’t behave like Emperor Nero who fiddled while Rome burned.”
Dike noted that President Tinubu was not the first to declare a state of emergency in the country and wondered why Rivers’ case should be given tribal coloration.
He said: “And don’t forget, President Obasanjo set the precedence in declaration of State of Emergency in Plateau State (2004) and Ekiti State (2006).
“Goodluck Jonathan too, did in the following states: Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe States (2013-2015). So, what is the hullabaloo about that of Rivers State?”
