El-Rufai Urges Tinubu to Restore Elected Officials in Rivers

Former Governor of Kaduna State and chieftain of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Malam Nasir El-Rufai, has called on President Bola Tinubu to restore the elected officials of Rivers State, following their suspension.

El-Rufai made the call in a post on his verified Facebook page on Wednesday night, expressing concern that it was dangerous to Nigeria’s democratic federalism for an elected president to assume the power to suspend state-level officials.

While acknowledging the significant responsibilities of the president, El-Rufai emphasized that the Constitution limits the president’s powers and does not authorize the removal of individuals who were democratically elected by the people.

He stated, “There are things that are so clearly wrong that the justifications summoned in their defense fall flat. The decision of Mr. President to suspend the elected officials of the Rivers State Government is one of those.”

El-Rufai further noted that while the security issues cited in the President’s speech should be addressed urgently, suspending elected officials was not the appropriate solution. He suggested that a state of emergency could have been declared to empower security agencies with extraordinary powers to handle the situation.

“The security issues certainly deserve the most serious attention and sustained efforts to contain the threats and preserve vital national infrastructure. That is a duty that we ought to vigorously support the security agencies to successfully discharge,” El-Rufai added. “However, extending the provisions of such an emergency regime to dismantle democratic structures is a wanton aggression against democratic principles and the rule of law.”

He referenced the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Dariye vs. Attorney General of the Federation case, which declared the suspension of elected officials unlawful, and urged the President to reconsider the decision.

El-Rufai further pointed out that as an opposition leader, Tinubu had previously spoken out against President Goodluck Jonathan’s decision to declare a state of emergency in the North-East, despite it not extending to the suspension of elected officials. He suggested that a similar reconsideration was necessary in this case to prevent further damage to the people of Rivers State and restore the Federal Government’s compliance with the Constitution.

“Let us not keep silent while the slippery slope of replicating the events of emergency rule in the old Western Region in 1962 unfolds before our very eyes,” El-Rufai warned, calling on all patriots and voices of reason to join in rejecting the violation of the Constitution and the rule of law.