A group of human rights lawyers, under the banner of Lawyers in Defence of Democracy, staged a protest march in Abuja on Wednesday, demanding the restoration of democratic governance in Rivers State. The lawyers called on the United States and the international community to press President Bola Tinubu to reverse his decision to suspend Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and the Rivers State House of Assembly.
The suspension, which Tinubu enacted for six months following a declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, has sparked widespread criticism. Led by their Country Director, Barr. Uche Chukwu Udeh Sylvester, the lawyers marched to the United States Embassy in Abuja, where they delivered a letter addressed to U.S. President Donald Trump, urging intervention to restore democratic rule.
Speaking to journalists during the protest, Barr. Sylvester described the state of emergency as unconstitutional and a threat to Nigeria’s democracy. He argued that there was no justifiable “clear and present danger” to warrant the emergency rule and that due process was blatantly disregarded. The lawyers condemned the National Assembly for ratifying the emergency rule, labeling it an assault on democratic principles.
The letter to President Trump highlighted concerns about the erosion of constitutional order, stating, “In an era where democracy is supposed to reign supreme, we have found ourselves at a crossroads. The President, who swore to uphold the Constitution, has taken an unprecedented and unlawful step by suspending a democratically elected governor, deputy governor, and an entire state House of Assembly under the guise of Emergency Rule. What emergency? Nigerians and Rivers people did not see or feel any such emergency.”
The lawyers further argued that no constitutional provision or statute grants the president the authority to dissolve elected state government structures, likening the action to practices seen during military dictatorships. They emphasized that Nigeria operates under a constitutional democracy, not a military regime, and that the judiciary has the capacity to resolve such disputes without resorting to emergency measures.
Citing a recent local government administration crisis in Osun State that did not lead to a state of emergency, the lawyers urged President Tinubu to reconsider his decision and allow Governor Fubara to resume his duties as the democratically elected leader of Rivers State.
