Nasir El-Rufai, the former Governor of Kaduna, has cautioned President Bola Tinubu that suspending Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy Ngozi Odu could have perilous consequences for Nigeria, citing the move as unconstitutional and a threat to democracy.
El-Rufai stated in a Facebook post on Wednesday night that the Nigerian Constitution does not grant the President the authority to remove elected state officials.
While recognizing Rivers State’s security concerns, he contended that they can be addressed through legal means without undermining democratic institutions.
He pointed out that if urgent action was needed, a state of emergency could have been declared, allowing security agencies to intervene without removing elected officials, and noted that Tinubu had previously opposed former President Goodluck Jonathan’s declaration of a state of emergency in the North-East, even though Jonathan did not suspend elected officials.
El-Rufai is urging the President to reconsider his decision, citing a Supreme Court ruling that suspending elected officials is illegal and warning of a potential crisis.
He called on Nigerians to speak out against the decision, which he described as a clear violation of the law, and urged the Federal Government to correct its mistake and respect democracy.
