Former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has criticized President Bola Tinubu for allegedly breaching Nigeria’s constitution by removing Governor Siminalayi Fubara and declaring a state of emergency in Rivers State.
Speaking during the 9th Edition of the Akinjide Adeosun Foundation (AAF) Annual Leadership Discourse in Lagos, themed “Fearless Leadership: A Panacea for Sustainable Development,” Amaechi also took aim at the National Assembly, describing it as a “very weak institution” that enabled the President’s actions.
According to Amaechi, the move by Tinubu amounted to running a government based on personal will rather than the rule of law.
“For a governor or a president, who subscribes to such a concept, it is what he or she does that is law. It is not what is in the book that is law. There is also the non-observance of the basic principles of law,” Amaechi stated.
He continued, “This is where government is not by law, but by the whims and caprices of an individual leader. Like the current pronouncement of an illegal and unconstitutional state of emergency in Rivers State aided by weak institutions like the National Assembly, which is very weak.
“What is even more alarming is that the breach in the situation is not even about law. The president didn’t break any law. He broke the constitution.
“Now, this breach of the constitution is a breach of the sacredness and sanctity of the constitution. The constitution of a country is the Bible of that country. And its sanctity must be protected.
“Can we say the same in Nigeria? Obviously, the response would be a resounding no. The president looked at the whole Nigeria and removed an elected governor in Rivers State and appointed a military man, yet the country continued. Nothing happened,” he lamented.
In recent weeks, President Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State amid ongoing political unrest. He suspended Governor Fubara, his deputy, and members of the state assembly, and later appointed retired military officer Ibok-Ete Ibas as the state’s sole administrator.
