Goodluck Jonathan, the former president, warned that the suspension of elected officials in Rivers State could damage Nigeria’s reputation.
Jonathan expressed disappointment over the removal of elected officials at the Haske Satumari Foundation Colloquium in Abuja, stressing the importance of upholding democratic principles.
The former president’s statements are quoted by Persecondnews as saying that “these actions by key players in the executive and legislative branches of government paint the country in a negative light.”
Following Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in the oil-rich South-South state, which suspended Governor Jonathan, Jonathan took his place. Prof. Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy For the next six months, Ngozi Odu, along with all State House of Assembly members elected.
According to him, the governor and state lawmakers have argued that the decision was made to bring stability to the state, which has been experiencing political unrest.
The Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Mrs. Ngozi Odu, and all other elected members of the House of Assembly of Rivers State are hereby suspended for an initial six-month period, according to the President.
In order to oversee governance, the president appointed and swore in former vice-admiral Ibok-Ette Ibas.
While expressing his thoughts on the political unrest in Rivers, Jonathan asserted that the actions of the country’s executive, legislative, and judiciary depend heavily on how well the country’s executive, legislature, and judiciary act, although it is not typical for former presidents to make comments on issues in the polity to prevent the heathen of the country.
As a well-known son of the Niger Delta, he claimed that his comment was compelled by persistent calls from numerous Nigerians to discuss the events in Rivers State.
He decried the circumstance whereby a person has the authority to appoint a judge for a particular act, arguing that this makes it difficult for anyone to trust the judge.
Tinubu argued that the emergency measure was necessary to bring about peace, and that it was sent to the National Assembly after being published in the Federal Gazette.
According to Tinubu, “This declaration has been published in the Federal Gazette, a copy of which has been forwarded to the National Assembly in accordance with the Constitution.”
