By Charles Pemu 
ABUJA – The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused President Bola Tinubu of overstepping his constitutional authority by suspending Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State during the six-month state of emergency. The party has called on the President to apologize to Nigerians for what it described as a dangerous precedent for the nation’s democracy.
In an interview with Vanguard, PDP Deputy National Youth Leader Timothy Osadolor argued that the President’s action undermined the principle of separation of powers. “If he has the powers to remove elected governors, who now has the powers to check the President, who was also elected?” Osadolor questioned.
Osadolor insisted that the President’s move was a direct violation of the 1999 Constitution and accused the National Assembly of being compromised to “ratify an abnormally ill report.” He called on Tinubu to encourage lawmakers to pass legislation that would prevent a similar “arrogant suspension” of a governor in the future.
The PDP official also criticized the tone of the President’s address to governors and stakeholders, which he described as “uncalled for and unnecessary.” He likened Tinubu’s manner to that of a “military commander” rather than a civilian leader respecting the office of elected officials.
Osadolor concluded by calling for a thorough probe of the “six-month aberration” of an “occupational government” in Rivers State, arguing that the episode exposed significant weaknesses in Nigeria’s governance system. He maintained that the Constitution does not empower the President to suspend a governor, a responsibility that falls solely to the National Assembly.