A former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, has strongly criticised the planned local government elections in Rivers State, accusing President Bola Tinubu of attempting to legitimise what he described as executive lawlessness.
George made his position known at a press conference on Monday at his Ikoyi office in Lagos, where he issued a strongly worded statement titled “Enough of Executive Recklessness and Brigandage.”
According to the PDP chieftain, the planned elections, which come amid a state of emergency declared in Rivers State in March, represent an outright disregard for constitutional order and the will of the people.
He recalled that President Tinubu had suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and the Rivers State House of Assembly following political disagreements with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. In the aftermath, the President appointed Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd.) as Sole Administrator of the state.
George said the latest move to appoint a new Chairman and six members of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) — as transmitted by the President to the National Assembly — is a calculated attempt to legitimise what he called an “illegality.”
“It is noteworthy that prior to and after the declaration of emergency, not even a chicken was killed in Rivers. There was no breakdown of law and order,” George said. “This emergency rule is politically motivated, and now they want to hold local government elections through an illegally installed structure.”
He warned that the continued actions of the Tinubu administration pose a serious threat to Nigeria’s democracy.
“The President is not the government. The Governor is not the government. It is the people who are the government. The moment you take away the people’s mandate, it is no longer democracy,” George declared.
He also questioned the legality of the National Assembly’s approval of the state of emergency, pointing out that it did not meet the constitutional requirement of two-thirds majority.
“The law says 74 Senators and 240 Representatives must approve a declaration of emergency. What is the meaning of voice vote? Did they meet the constitutional threshold?” he queried.
The PDP stalwart said the developments in Rivers reflect a growing pattern of impunity that echoes the collapse of previous republics, warning that the APC-led Federal Government may be steering the country towards anarchy.
“Instead of addressing critical national issues such as hunger, insecurity, and unemployment, this government is busy renaming public buildings after themselves and scheming for 2027,” he said.
Bode George also expressed concern that Nigerians no longer feel safe in their own country and accused the ruling party of prioritising control of Rivers State’s resources over good governance.
He urged Nigerians to speak up and hold leaders accountable, warning that continued silence in the face of rising impunity could lead to irreversible political collapse.
