The United States-based Institute of Law Research and Development (ILAWDUN) has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately reverse the suspension of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, warning that failure to do so could permanently taint his democratic legacy.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Sunday, the Director of ILAWDUN and Professor of International Environmental and Public International Law, Prof. Cyprian Edward-Ekpo, described the president’s decision—alongside the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State—as a constitutional overreach that threatens the foundation of Nigeria’s democracy.
“If the Supreme Court upholds the emergency declaration and the suspension of a democratically elected state governor and legislature by another democratically elected official, it will permanently stain your legacy,” the statement read. “You will be remembered as the President who undermined constitutional principles and legitimised illegality.”
Edward-Ekpo stressed that a state of emergency can only be lawfully declared under conditions of total breakdown of law and order that the Nigeria Police Force cannot control—a situation he argued was not the case in Rivers State.
The institute further warned that the suspension of a sitting governor and state legislature without a clear legal basis not only breaches the 1999 Constitution but also sets a dangerous precedent that could destabilize the entire democratic structure of the country.
Commenting on the ongoing Supreme Court case filed by seven opposition governors challenging the legality of the president’s actions in Rivers State, Edward-Ekpo cautioned the judiciary against dismissing the case on technical grounds. He noted that such a move would be seen as judicial compromise and erode public confidence in both the justice system and President Tinubu’s administration.
“The Supreme Court Justices cannot, in good conscience, sustain such an obvious constitutional violation,” he said. “Any resort to dismissing the suit on technical grounds or using orchestrated delay tactics will only reinforce the belief that the judiciary is under executive influence.”
ILAWDUN called on President Tinubu to take immediate corrective action and restore the suspended democratic structures in Rivers State as a way of reaffirming his commitment to the rule of law and the democratic process.
“The future of Nigeria’s democratic institutions is at stake,” the institute warned. “History will remember whether this administration stood for the constitution or against it.”
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