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By Oscar Okhifo
Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, has downplayed the lifting of the six-month state of emergency in Rivers State, saying it is not a development that should attract celebration.
Recall that President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday, ended the emergency rule he imposed on March 18, 2025, following the protracted political crisis between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the state House of Assembly.
The emergency proclamation, made under Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution, suspended the Governor, his deputy and members of the legislature, while retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas was appointed Sole Administrator.
Speaking in a televised interview, Adegboruwa said: “I don’t see any cause for celebration. The people of Rivers voted for their Governor, deputy and lawmakers. That mandate is sacred and should not have been set aside in the first place.”
The senior lawyer also faulted the constitutional framework for emergency powers, noting that it is unclear whether the President can suspend elected public officials under Section 305.
“There is the need for judicial pronouncements on the consequential powers in that section,” he argued.
“The Constitution must be clear on what a President can or cannot do during a state of emergency.”
He further demanded transparency in how the state was run during the six months of sole administration.
“Vice Admiral Ibas must render an account of Rivers’ finances , how much was received, how much was spent, and the powers exercised in that period. Nigerians deserve to know,” Adegboruwa said.
On the pending lawsuits filed during the crisis, he insisted that they should not be abandoned. “These suits are not overtaken by events. The courts must pronounce on them so that we don’t create room for abuse in future emergencies,” he stressed.
According to him, while the return of Governor Fubara and the legislature marks progress, “it is not an outright victory for democracy until the constitutional loopholes that allowed the suspension of elected officers are properly addressed.