THE Nigerian Presidency has criticised former President Goodluck Jonathan and Nobel Prize winner, Wole Soyinka, regarding their stance on President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, in a statement on Sunday, March 22, said Jonathan and Soyinka had the right to their respective opinions but should recognise that President Tinubu had a country to govern.
“Professor Wole Soyinka and former President Goodluck Jonathan are respected statesmen. Like many Nigerians who have offered varied opinions on the president’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, the two distinguished Nigerians have also offered their own opinions.
“President Tinubu has a country to govern, and he has exercised his power under the 1999 Constitution as amended,” the Presidency stated.
It maintained that Tinubu had a responsibility to uphold Nigeria’s unity and would not permit any region or state to slip into disorder.
The ICIR reported that Jonathan criticised the suspension of elected officials in Rivers state, following the emergency rule declared by Tinubu on Tuesday, March 18.
The suspended officials include the state governor, Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and all House of Assembly members in the state.
According to the president, the declaration was occasioned by a protracted political crisis between Fubara and lawmakers loyal to his predecessor and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
While Jonathan warned that the suspension of elected officials dented Nigeria’s image, Soyinka argued that the decision contradicted the principles of federalism.
Soyinka also criticised the action and pointed out that the manner of its enforcement betrayed federalism.
On March 18, Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, citing an alleged governance breakdown caused by the ongoing conflict between Fubara and state lawmakers loyal to Wike, including the reported attack on oil facilities in the state hours before the. pronouncement.
Tinubu suspended Fubara, his deputy, and the state lawmakers. He appointed Ibok-Ette Ibas, a retired vice admiral, as the state’s sole administrator, citing Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution.
Despite opposition to the decision from Nigerians, the National Assembly endorsed the emergency rule on Thursday, March 20.
Several stakeholders, including opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Anambra State Governor and presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) Peter Obi, and over 200 civil society organisations (CSOs), were among Nigerians who opposed the emergency rule.
Fatimah Quadri is a Journalist and a Fact-checker at The ICIR. She has written news articles, fact-checks, explainers, and media literacy in an effort to combat information disorder.
She can be reached at sunmibola_q on X or fquadri@icirnigeria.org