Foremost Lawyer, Abiodun Owonikoko Justifies Tinubu’s Declaration of State of Emergency in Rivers.

Foremost Lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Abiodun Jeleel Owonikoko has said the procedure for the declaration of state of emergency by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu followed constitutional provisions and therefore right.

According to Owonikoko, the President’s decision to declare a state of emergency is constitutional and justified, given the breakdown of law and order in the state.

He spoke in a live interview on Arise television and monitored by our medium.

He submitted that the President has the power to declare a state of emergency under Section 305 of the Constitution, and that the National Assembly’s approval of the proclamation is a validation of the President’s decision.

According to Owonikoko, framers of theb1963 constitution had vested the powers to declare state of emergency on the Legislature but as events unfolded in the polity, further amendments brought in the President who will declare it and the Legislature will approve within a specified timeframe.

He insisted that as things stood, with the approval within the specified 48 hours, it was now the National Assembly that has the emergency rule in place.

However, critics have warned that the President’s actions may be a power grab, and that the declaration of a state of emergency may be a pretext for undermining the democratic process in the state.

They point out that the Constitution is clear on the procedure for removing a governor, and that the President’s decision to suspend the governor and appoint a sole administrator may be unconstitutional.

The controversy has sparked a national debate about the limits of executive power and the role of the legislature in checking the President’s actions.

As the situation continues to unfold, one thing is clear: the fate of Rivers State and the future of Nigerian democracy hang in the balance.