Tinubu Has No Legal Power to Suspend Fubara, Says Inibehe Effiong

Tinubu Has No Legal Power to Suspend Fubara, Says Inibehe Effiong

Prominent Nigerian lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, has criticized President Bola Tinubu’s decision to suspend Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu………..READ MORE

In a nationwide broadcast on Tuesday, Tinubu declared a six-month suspension of Fubara and Odu while also announcing a state of emergency in the state.

Reacting via his official handle, Effiong argued that the President has no constitutional authority to suspend a sitting governor, deputy governor, or state lawmakers.

“President Tinubu has no constitutional authority or power to suspend the Governor of Rivers State and the members of the Rivers State House of Assembly. The emergency powers under the 1999 Constitution do not grant such powers to the President. I will respond more elaborately later,” Effiong stated.

Meanwhile, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has also condemned Tinubu’s decision, describing it as politically motivated and disgraceful.

In a statement on Tuesday night, Atiku accused Tinubu of fueling the political crisis in Rivers State, saying, “Anyone paying attention to the unfolding crisis knows that Bola Tinubu has been a vested partisan actor in the turmoil engulfing Rivers. His blatant refusal or calculated negligence in preventing this escalation is nothing short of disgraceful.”

He further argued that Tinubu’s actions were aimed at undermining democracy, adding, “Punishing the people of Rivers State to serve political gamesmanship is an assault on democracy and must be condemned in the strongest terms.”

The declaration of a state of emergency has sparked widespread debate across Nigeria, with many questioning its legality and political implications.