The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has re-condemned President Bola Tinubu’s suspension of Rivers Governor Siminalayi Fubara, saying the move was unconstitutional and urged the president to revoke his decision.
On Tuesday, President Tinob declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, suspending the state’s political crisis, his deputy Governor Forbala, his agent and all members of the state’s Capitol.
Naija News The report said the president appointed retired naval chief Ibok-Ete Ibas as the state’s sole executive.
The NBA president speaks on Sunday politics on channel TV, Afam Osigwe The association’s position on the matter was reiterated.
He firmly stated that the decision to remove Fobala from office was unconstitutional, stressing that the Nigerian constitution does not recognize the appointment of the sole administrator.
Osigwe, a senior Nigerian advocate, called on Fubara to immediately restore its status, stressing that the actions taken by the president are inconsistent with the constitutional provisions.
He further clarified the NBA’s position on the sole administrator, noting that “That’s our belief, and that’s what we hope the president can do, restore him (Fobara) to the queen’s power, unconstitutionally remove him from office,” Osigway said in the plan.
“That’s why we don’t recognize that the only administrator is the legal person who occupied the River State Government House, but is unconstitutional.
“Even if I saw him taking the oath, I wondered if he wanted to take the oath because he did not know the Constitution, and the Constitution did not recognize an executive.”
Osigwe compared the current political situation at Rivers State with a misleading approach to using sledgehammer to cure headaches.
He said “The problem with river state is being solved with the wrong solution,” Added that the measures taken to resolve the crisis are “Beyond, broad, undemocratic, and most importantly unconstitutional.”
He insisted that the problem of river states is political and that only a political solution can end.
In some respects, it was claimed that there was a gap in Article 305 of the 1999 Constitution, which President Tinob used to take action in Rivers, but the NBA president dismissed, insisting that the constitution was clear enough.
“I don’t think it (Section 305) is not clear, I just believe we deliberately refuse to apply it the way it is.” Osigwe said.
