Declaration Of State Of Emergency In Rivers, Undemocratic, Unacceptable – Momodu

Criticisms and widespread condemnations have continued to trail the declaration of a State of Emergency in Rivers State, particularly the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu and members of the State House of Assembly.

One of the latest persons that castigated the development is a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Dele Momodu, who described the declaration of the State of Emergency in Rivers State by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as “anti-democratic and unacceptable” to good reasons.

Momodu, who featured as a guest on Channels Television’s ‘The Morning Brief’ on Monday, March 31, 2025, said that a lot of genuine democrats in the country are seriously embarrassed that a presumed pro-democracy leader is in government, but what they are witnessing is worse than dictatorship

This was as he pointedly said that the action of President Tinubu in declaring a State of Emergency in Rivers State was most unfortunate, totally uncalled for and unwarranted.

He said; “I know President Tinubu very well. Though I’ve not been in the same party with him and all that, we were together in exile, and he fought gallantly for this democracy. “So, a lot of us, co-comrades at that time, are actually very embarrassed that we have a pro-democracy leader in government, and yet what we are witnessing is worse than dictatorship.

“I’m pleading with President Bola Tinubu, please don’t kill democracy in Nigeria. Everybody who loves him will tell him this. I have not asked him for anything, but we love him for his contributions to the motivation in the back, which is what is going down the drain,” he stressed.

Momodu also accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of intimidating the opposition and warned the ruling Party to watch its back.

In his words; “I am saying it now openly to millions of Nigerians that people are deceiving President Tinubu, and he should not allow people to deceive him.

“He should just do his job. The only thing that can guarantee a second time is to do your job well. You do not need to intimidate anybody,” he cautioned.