Following President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in the oil-rich state of Rivers and the six-month suspension of the governor, his deputy, and all state parliament members, Nigeria is experiencing a worsening political crisis.
Tinubu claimed to have received “disturbing security reports detailing incidents of vandalism of pipelines by some militants without the governor taking any action to curtail them” during a countrywide broadcast on Tuesday night.
And he could not let the “grave situation” go on, he continued.
However, opposition politicians and attorneys are contesting the president’s decision’s constitutionality.
Tinubu made the declaration following a blast that seriously damaged the Trans-Niger Pipeline, one of the nation’s most productive crude oil pipelines.
In the past, militants or criminal gangs have attacked pipelines, stopping exports and manufacturing.
The online site Africa Report estimates that the oil passing through the impacted pipeline brings in about $14 million (£11 million) per day at current pricing.
However, a political schism in Rivers State has escalated to a boiling point in the wake of the explosion.
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP), of which Governor Siminalayi Fubara is a member, has been beset by rumors of internal strife. The PDP is the primary party opposing the president’s All Progressives Congress on a national scale.
Tinubu said that politicians have not been able to work together effectively because of the ongoing turmoil. He stated that allies of Fubara had promised “fire and brimstone” against the governor’s enemies and that they had not “disowned” these words.
“This political crisis has left Rivers state at a standstill,” Tinubu said, adding that the latest measure is based on the need to restore peace and order to the state. “There have been political disagreements, but good governance has continued,” he said, adding that “Rivers state is safe, secure, and peaceful under our watch.”
The state of emergency will allow the government to run the state in the interim and send security forces if necessary. Rivers state lawmakers had threatened to impeach the governor and his deputy, according to the Reuters news agency.
However, Tinubu’s action is viewed as harsh by many parties.
According to the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), dismissing an elected governor, deputy governor, or state legislature members is “unconstitutional.”
The PDP denounced the emergency rule as an attempt at “state capture” and rejected it. Tinubu was charged with attempting to make Nigeria a one-party state. “It is the climax of a well-oiled plot to forcefully take over Rivers state,” stated the statement.
Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi criticized the action, calling it “reckless” on X.
The declaration of a state of emergency in Nigeria is not new. Former presidents resorted to the measure in a bid to quell insurgency and instability in different sections of the country.
