Rivers: Public Interest Lawyers Canvass America’s Support for Emergency Rule

Juliet Akoje in Abuja

Hundreds of public interest lawyers (PIL) have canvassed support of the United States of America on the proclamation of a state of emergency in Rivers State by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The lawyers who marched peacefully to the American Embassy yesterday in Abuja, maintained that under Section 305 of the Nigerian Constitution, the President has discretionary powers to proclaim a state of emergency if public safety and public order are in danger.

Led by Mr. Beeior Orpin, the lawyers who submitted their petition to the Ambassador of the United States to Nigeria (USA), argued that President Tinubu had to wade in because Rivers State under suspended Governor Siminilayi Fubara, was on verge of anarchy. 

Inscriptions on some of the placards brandished by the legal practitioners reads ‘Emergency rule in Rivers State constitutional’, ‘Section 305 provides for emergency rule’, ‘Emergency rule in Rivers State is legal’, ‘Tinubu saved Rivers from anarchy’, and ‘Fubara demolished the legislature, is a danger to democracy’. 

According to them, Nigeria is a constitutional democracy like the United States of America which subscribes to the same democratic principles and ethos as the United States.

Stating that President Tinubu deserves the support of the US, they noted: “Lives and property were in grave danger in Rivers State before the president’s intervention. Since then, calm has returned, and the process of enduring peace and law and order is in progress.

“We thank the President for his timely action and request that the United States, as the bastion of democracy, support him to entrench law and order in our country.”

Contributing, one of the lawyers, Ms Sandra Ezeoke, explained the rationale behind their decision to draw the attention of the American government to the proclamation of emergency rule in Rivers State.

According to her, “We are here because there has been a lot of misconception about the action taken by Mr. President and the National Assembly. The law is trite that any administrative action taken is valid until set aside by a court of law. Right now, the administrative action that has been taken is the state of emergency declared by Mr. President and it remains valid until it is set aside by court.

“That matter is in court and it is not in place for members of the public to start deciding upon it. We chose the US embassy because as we know the father of democracy is a past president of the US. We feel that if there is any country that is going to guide us properly because democracy is not an indigenous idea of Nigeria, it is going to be the US.”