The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi has slammed members of the National Assembly for approving of the State of Emergency declared in Rivers State by President Bola Tinubu.
Obi described the actions of the lawmakers of the National Assembly on the political happenings in Rivers State as a complete disregard for constitutional standards.
According to Obi, the members of the National Assembly have just added “salt to injury” with their approval of the State of Emergency declared in Rivers State by the president through a voice vote.
He said, “While still agonizing over the ongoing deterioration of democracy in our nation, especially with the situation in Rivers State, and trying to reach out to our National Assembly members not to support and sustain the unconstitutionality and arbitrariness, I just heard that they have added salt to injury by using a voice vote to pass the illegality.”
According to a text on X, Obi said decisions on matters as grave as a State of Emergency is not one that should be handled with a mere call for ‘Aye’ or ‘Nays’ from the lawmakers.
He warned that the standing orders and House rules of the National Assembly were established for transparency and accountability by the from the legislature.
He wrote, “Ignoring these procedures is not just an oversight; it is a betrayal of the democratic process. A voice vote for such a critical matter is not just insufficient; it’s a dangerous precedent. If we can bend the rules so easily, what stops us from undermining other pillars of democracy?”
Further warning that today’s disregard for the law was on a State of Emergency in Rivers State, Obi said the next could be on trampling on the fundamental rights of citizens.
He said it is unfortunate that the legislature that has sworn top uphold the Constitution have now participated in a process that destroys the essence of due process.
“We must ask ourselves: If the law no longer anchors our decisions, then what does? This is not just a flawed procedure; it is a warning signal. We cannot afford to keep gambling with the soul of our democracy,” Obi concluded.
