Civil Society Groups Petition UN to Sanction Nigerian Government Over Suspension of Fubara
A coalition of over 30 civil society organizations has petitioned the United Nations, urging it to sanction the Nigerian Federal Government over President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency, coupled with the suspension of the state governor, deputy, and house of assembly members.
The civil society organizations who condemned the truncation of democratic rule in the state to allow room for a sole administrator to govern urged the UN to sanction the country should the president fail to immediately restore democratic rule in the oil-rich state.
The CSO made the disclosure when they gathered in Port Harcourt on Thursday, before filing the petition to the secretary, Human Rights Committee, United Nations, 760 United Nations Plaza, Manhattan in New York, United States of America.
In the petition filed by Egondu Esinwoke (Convener) and Courage Nsirimovu (Coordinator), the civil society organizations emphasized that President Tinubu defaulted in his obligation to promote democracy and democratic institutions in the country, charging the UN to advise Nigeria’s President to limit his actions within the confines of the nation’s Constitution.
The coalition while briefing the UN on the background of the running crisis traced a public admittance of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory FCT Abuja, Nyesom Wike, to have procured forms for all elective office contestants from his party with alleged public funds and his insistence on micro-managing every elective and appointive public office holder that emerged through the process.
They claimed that it was the refusal of Governor Siminalayi Fubara to continue to kowtow the template that enraged the FCT Minister into ordering his impeachment in October 2023.
The petitioners further noted that the lawmakers loyal to the bizarre process, served impeachment notice to the governor, adding that the governor resisted the move because there was no single offense pointed out to want to impeach a governor that had not stayed up to six months in office and was yet to complete the appointment of cabinet members.
According to the petitioners, the 27 lawmakers who swore to the plot to remove the governor at the behest of the former governor defected to the ruling party on the directive of the former governor, who they said has emerged as a strong political force for being an ally of the president of the country.
The lawmakers later changed their minds when they allegedly realized the implications. This, they said, created a serious crisis in the state.
The petitioners stated: “The Nigerian Constitution is explicitly clear and instructive as to the consequence of defection when there is no division in the party that sponsored the defector(s). Section 109(1)(g) provides that upon defection, a state legislator loses his/her seat.”
They said the Supreme Court has ruled on the matter many times to re-enforce the constitution, which makes defection in peacetime an automatic loss of a seat in parliament.
The.CSOs heaped blame on the FCT Minister for having worked through the 27 loyal lawmakers led by Martin Amaewhule to get a state of emergency declared in Rivers State.
The petition outlined how they used the courts and the national electoral bodies to constrict the state electoral body and got the local council election nullified.
The group also told the UN that Gov Fubara, in the interest of peace and for the sake of the suffering masses, accepted the judgment and made several efforts to reach out to the 27 (now reinstated) lawmakers to work together in service to the people.
They stated how the governor tried to comply with the court’s rulings and how this was frustrated by the Minister’s loyalists to pave the way for a state of emergency.
The petitioners kicked against the action of the President thus: “Section 305 of the Nigerian Constitution, which empowers the President to declare a state of emergency, does not envisage in any way, the removal of a democratically elected Governor.
“The same Section 305 is clear that the proclamation only takes effect when 2/3 majority of the National Assembly-Senate and House of Representatives affirms same.
“However, the President insisted it takes effect immediately in flagrant disregard of the Nigerian Constitution. Furthermore, the compromised Senate and House of Representatives used a voice vote to affirm the illegality.”
The petitioners, however, stated that officials of Rivers State Government, duly serving the people, are being forced to resign and/or removed, and that tension, anxiety, and uncertainty are palpable in the climate of the state.
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