….Describes it as Illegal, in bad faith
Constance Meju, Port Harcourt
As Nigerians are questioning the presentation of the 2025 budget of the Rivers State Government by President Bola Tinubu, a direct usurpation of state power, leading good governance advocate and executive director of Pilex Centre for Civic Education Initiative-The Peoples Advocate, Comrade Courage Nsirimovu, has lambasted the president for promoting rascality by his act.
Nsirimovu, a lawyer, who has challenged the declaration of a state of emergency on Rivers State in court said in a statement released May 22, that the usurpation of the powers and roles of the governor is also a terrorist act. He noted that Tinubu is acting against a past ruling in 2004 which clearly determined where the president’s power stopped-in the declaration of a state of emergency.
“The presentation of Rivers State budget of NGN1.48 trillion to the Senate for approval by the President of Nigeria is not only illegal but done in bad faith.
“The ruling of the Supreme Court in the case of A.G Federation V. A.G Lagos State (2004) puts a big wedge on the constitutionality of the actions of the President, except he wants to continue in his impunity.
“In the case above, the issue of declaration of state of emergency was treated and the decision of the Court was to the effect that; though S 305 of the Nigerian Constitution provides for declaration of State of Emergency, it doesn’t empower the President to suspend or remove a democratically elected Governor.
“The President’s usurpation of the powers of the Governor of Rivers State is so painful and terroristic in the face of very weak institutions like the judiciary which should be the hope of the people to address the ills of the President.”
According to Nsirimovu, the conduct of the president exhibits gross misconduct made worse by a National Assembly that has lost bearing.
“The conduct of the President amounts to gross misconduct and the irony of this situation is that the National Assembly has also lost its legitimacy in the eyes of the people because one would have expected them to caution or check the excesses of the President by denying his demands.”
The peoples’ advocate said failure of institutions that should checkmate abuses in democracy engender loss of faith in democracy; a level Nigeria has now attained.
He drew attention to the fact of incidents of undue interference even in the judiciary, helping promote impunity by the executive.
“When a people lose faith in the institutions of democracy (Judiciary, Legislature and Executive) it means that the social contract has failed and the next scenario is better left for you to imagine. We have gotten to that tipping point.
“Only today, the CJN (Chief Justice of Nigeria) called for five files (suits) against the Sole Administrator in Rivers State and transferred all the matters to Abuja. The Judiciary and Legislature are now tools in the hands of the Executive. Hence this executive rascality and impunity.
The Pilex ED further stated: “The Supreme Court has mandated the Governor of Rivers State to represent the budget to the State Assembly and only he can do so.
“The Emergency rule is illegal and whatever the President builds on it will fall. The said action of the President to present the Rivers’ budget to the Senate is illegal and should be resisted one way or another.”
