Rivers Crisis: PRP Cautions Tinubu on Impeachable Actions, Urges National Assembly to Intervene

Prompting the National Assembly to examine President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s proclamation of a state of emergency in Rivers State, the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) has warned that it may be grounds for impeachment.

Muhammad Ishaq, the PRP’s national publicity secretary, issued a statement on Wednesday in which he denounced the President’s decision as unconstitutional.
The party reportedly claimed that Tinubu’s actions were a grave breach of the 1999 Constitution, which forms the basis of the country’s governance, and that they also threatened Nigeria’s democratic institutions.
The president’s decision to suspend Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and every member of the Rivers State House of Assembly was denounced by the party as an abuse of executive power that needs to be challenged.

According to the PRP, the President’s actions represent a risky and unlawful abuse of executive authority. The Nigerian President may declare a state of emergency under certain, strict circumstances, as stated in Section 305 of the Constitution. Nevertheless, the statement stated that this clause does not give the power to arbitrarily suspend or dismiss elected state officials.

The party also underlined that the rule of law and democracy, which Nigeria has laboriously cultivated, are threatened by the suspension of state officials.

The argument put forth was that Rivers State’s political tensions were not severe enough to constitute a constitutional crisis to warrant such a drastic measure.

The PRP called for President Tinubu’s decision to be reviewed by lawmakers and demanded that Governor Fubara be reinstated immediately. Legislators were urged to look into whether the president’s actions merit impeachment.

“The political tensions and alleged problems that led to this declaration do not amount to a constitutional crisis that would justify the suspension of an entire state government,” the statement went on to say.

The party emphasized that rather than using executive decree, constitutional processes like the judiciary should be used to settle internal conflicts. Additionally, it reminded everyone that the National Assembly must confirm any declaration of emergency.

The PRP cautioned that dismissing a democratically elected official under emergency powers creates a risky precedent that could result in further abuses by the executive branch.

It reaffirmed that no citizen should have to live in fear of being arbitrarily removed by the presidency, as respecting the electorate’s choice is a fundamental democratic principle.

Demand Action in the National Assembly
The PRP has demanded that the President’s actions be thoroughly examined in order to guarantee accountability and constitutional observance.

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The National Assembly was also urged to protect democracy by looking into and possibly lifting the suspension.

“To ascertain whether the President’s alleged declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State violates our current constitutional provisions, a thorough investigation should be conducted to ascertain whether or not his action qualifies as an impeachable offense.

“If so, procedures ought to be initiated appropriately,” the party said.

Finally, the PRP reiterated its dedication to defending Nigeria’s democracy and the Constitution. All residents, civil society groups, and the international world were encouraged to condemn what it described as an executive overreach and support the return of democratic governance to Rivers State.

“Our resolve to defend Nigeria’s democracy and enforce the Constitution is unwavering. The PRP came to a conclusion by urging all individuals, civil society groups, and the international world to condemn this executive overreach.