CISLAC Warns Rivers Sole Administrator’s Actions Threaten Democracy.
The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has raised concerns over the actions of Rivers State Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd), warning that his dismissal of political appointees poses a serious threat to democracy.
Concerns Over Political Interference
Executive Director of CISLAC, Auwal Rafsanjani, described the move as an attempt at state capture in favour of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). He accused the Sole Administrator of deliberately dismantling the existing political structure in Rivers State to create a system that serves the interests of President Bola Tinubu and the APC at the national level.
“What the Sole Administrator of Rivers is doing is to demolish the political structure of the state and lay the foundation of a new system that will favour the ruling party,” Rafsanjani stated.
He questioned why appointees working for the people of Rivers were being removed purely for political reasons, arguing that such actions undermine democratic governance and could set a dangerous precedent.
Calls for Legal Action
Former presidential spokesman, Laolu Akande, criticised Governor Siminalayi Fubara for failing to immediately challenge his suspension in court. Drawing comparisons to President Tinubu’s tenure as Lagos State governor between 1999 and 2007, Akande argued that Tinubu would have swiftly sought legal redress had he been suspended by then-President Olusegun Obasanjo.
“The first thing Fubara ought to do, if he knew what he was doing, was to go to court, and to tell his people that what happened in Rivers is against the law; but he couldn’t find the courage,” Akande remarked.
He further asserted that it is unconstitutional for an elected president to suspend an elected governor in the manner seen in Rivers State.
Presidency Rebukes Obasanjo
Meanwhile, the Presidency has dismissed criticism from former President Olusegun Obasanjo regarding Tinubu’s imposition of emergency rule in Rivers State.
Special Assistant to the President on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, accused Obasanjo of hypocrisy, highlighting alleged undemocratic actions during his own tenure from 1999 to 2007.
“Obasanjo is trying every trick possible to whitewash his bad democratic records by attempting to exonerate himself from how Nigeria’s democracy has fared,” Olusegun posted on his verified X account.
As political tensions in Rivers State continue to rise, CISLAC has urged all stakeholders to uphold democratic principles, warning that Nigeria must not slide into a one-party state if it is serious about national development.
