A coalition of legal professionals under the banner Lawyers in Defence of Democracy has staged a protest demanding the immediate restoration of democratic governance in Rivers State, following the controversial suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the State House of Assembly.
Led by Country Director, Barrister Uche Chukwu Udeh Sylvester, the group decried the recent declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, labelling it unconstitutional and a threat to Nigeria’s democratic order.
The protesting lawyers called on the United States and the international community to mount pressure on the Nigerian government to reverse what they described as a “brazen usurpation of constitutional authority.”
In a formal letter addressed to former U.S. President Donald Trump, they appealed for international intervention to restore democratic rule in the state.Travel guides
According to the group, the president’s action lacked a clear and present danger that would warrant emergency powers and failed to adhere to the due constitutional process.
“In our law books, and we stand by this, no constitutional provision or statute gives the president the power to dissolve the structures of a democratically elected state government,” Sylvester said. “This is reminiscent of military rule, not the constitutional democracy Nigeria currently operates.”Travel guides
The lawyers also condemned the National Assembly’s ratification of the president’s emergency declaration, describing it as a direct assault on Nigeria’s democracy.
They emphasised that internal governance disputes, such as those experienced recently in Osun State, were resolved without the need for federal intervention or a state of emergency.
“Democracy is a learning process,” the group stated. “Issues of governance should be resolved through constitutional channels, including the judiciary, which has proven capable of settling such matters.”
On March 18, 2025, President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, citing escalating political instability and security threats, particularly the vandalism of critical oil infrastructure.
This move led to the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and all members of the state House of Assembly for an initial period of six months.
The federal government pointed to several factors, including a protracted power struggle between Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike (now the Federal Capital Territory Minister), which resulted in a split within the state assembly and an attempted impeachment of the governor.
The Nigerian Bar Association condemned the suspension of elected officials, arguing that a state of emergency does not grant the president authority to dissolve democratically elected state governments.
Prominent Nigerians, including former President Goodluck Jonathan and Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka, also criticised the move as an overreach of executive power.
