The South-South Governors’ Forum has expressed concern over the recent six-month state of emergency declared in Rivers State, questioning the constitutional basis for the decision.
In a statement issued by Senator Douye Diri, Governor of Bayelsa State and Chairman of the Forum, the governors acknowledged President Bola Tinubu’s responsibility for maintaining law and order but insisted that Rivers State’s political situation does not meet the constitutional threshold for such an emergency.
“The current political situation in Rivers State does not satisfy the criteria for declaring a state of emergency as outlined in Section 305(3) of the Nigerian Constitution,” the statement read.
The Forum pointed out that the Nigerian Constitution specifies conditions under which a state of emergency can be imposed, including war, external aggression, imminent invasion, a breakdown of public order, existential threats to Nigeria, or significant public dangers. They argued that the political tensions in Rivers, primarily a power struggle** between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the State House of Assembly, should not warrant executive intervention.
