The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has denounced President Bola Tinubu’s now-lifted state of emergency in Rivers State, branding it a reckless abuse of power that struck at the heart of Nigeria’s democracy.
In a strongly worded statement on Wednesday, CUPP National Secretary, Chief Peter Ameh, described the six-month suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and the state’s House of Assembly as “a dangerous precedent that should never have happened.”
Tinubu declared the emergency on March 18, 2025, blaming a bitter feud between Governor Fubara and Minister Nyesom Wike and citing pipeline vandalism as a security threat. But CUPP insists those reasons fell far short of the constitutional thresholds under Section 305, warning that the move “undermined the will of Rivers voters and destabilized Nigeria’s federal balance.”
“The time stolen from Governor Fubara’s mandate and the Assembly’s operations can never be restored,” Ameh said. “By acting as a ‘Proclaimer General,’ the President overstepped his authority and tested the limits of our democracy.”
The opposition coalition also faulted the Supreme Court for refusing to hear challenges brought by PDP governors, accusing it of “complicity through silence” and failing to defend constitutional safeguards.
CUPP is now demanding full disclosure from the Presidency: the legal memo used to justify the proclamation, the financial costs of the six-month emergency, and an accounting of any rights violations during the period.
Calling on Nigerians to remain vigilant, Ameh warned that history will judge whether this episode is remembered as a one-off misstep or the beginning of authoritarian drift.
“The will of the people, expressed through free and fair elections, must remain inviolable,” he said. “We urge every Nigerian, civil society, and political actors to defend our democracy and ensure such overreach is never repeated.”
The emergency officially ended at midnight on September 17, paving the way for Governor Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Nma Odu, and the Rivers House of Assembly to resume their constitutional duties.