A Nigerian pro-democracy coalition, Concerned Nigerians in Defence of Democratic Governance, has petitioned the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), urging urgent intervention over what it described as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu?s move to undermine democracy in the country following the recent development in Rivers State.

Tinubu had declared a state of emergency in Rivers following the political tension in the state.

He suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his Deputy, Ngozi Odu, the Rivers Assembly for six months and appointed a retired Naval chief, Ibok-Ete Ibas, as the state?s sole administrator.

In a letter addressed to ECOWAS Commission President, Omar Alieu Touray, the coalition expressed concerns over the action.

The petition jointly signed by Comrade Aliyu Tanko, Bello Adamu, Nnamdi Ekwueme, Nicholas Upelle, Sadiq Alao and Oche Oche, was also addressed to the High Commissioners of Benin, Cabo Verde, C?te d?Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo.

The activists argued that the President?s acted unconstitutionally and sets a dangerous precedent for democratic governance in Nigeria and the broader West African region if not is done to address it.

The activists alleged that President Tinubu?s decision was politically motivated and aimed at empowering his ally, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to take control of Rivers State ahead of the 2027 general elections.

?He took this step despite a Supreme Court ruling that clarified that a state of emergency does not translate to a removal of the governor or of democratically elected office holders. Through our interactions with persons who are closely linked to the crisis in Rivers State, the Concerned Nigerians in Defence of Democrats Governance have established that the imposition of a state of emergency on Rivers State has nothing to do with the restoration of peace because the state was not at war even at the height of the political disagreements that President Tinubu cited as an excuse to suspend its democratically elected office holders.

?Secondly, President Tinubu used the imposition of emergency rule to intimidate the remaining 35 state governors not to challenge his dictatorship since he had demonstrated that he could easily abuse the Constitution to remove them from office.

?Your Excellency, the threat to democratic expression in Nigeria has become so bad that the remaining 35 governors, through the Nigeria Governors? Forum (NGF), have come out to openly declare that they will not interfere in President Tinubu?s dictatorial imposition of emergency rule. Their declaration of neutrality in the face of the threat to Nigeria?s democracy is better understood against the background that several of the states are currently under siege from President Tinubu?s political mercenaries, who are creating conditions of political hostility to justify further declaration of emergency rule in other states.

?We are writing to alert ECOWAS that President Tinubu?s truncation of democratic governance in Rivers State through the unconstitutional imposition of a state of emergency has grave implications for the West Africa sub-region?, the letter reads.

They further accused the president of using the emergency rule as a strategy to intimidate other state governors, warning that this could lead to wider instability in the country.

The group warned that If ECOWAS fails to act, the situation could escalate into a major crisis, potentially leading to large-scale displacement of people and instability in West Africa.

They urged ECOWAS to demand the immediate reinstatement of Governor Fubara and other suspended officials, stressing that upholding democratic principles is crucial for the stability of the region.

The activists called on ECOWAS to ensure Nigeria?s leadership adheres to constitutional provisions to prevent further erosion of democracy in the country. (Daily Trust)

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