Former governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Seriake Dickson, on Thursday, June 12, 2025, has said that it was an aberration for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to be preach democracy and practice autocracy.
Dickson noted that while President Tinubu’s Democracy Day address was eloquent, it was however disconnected from the country’s harsh political realities.
He said that the nation is sliding into a dangerous place where federal might is used to subvert local democracy and therefore called on all Nigerians, regardless of ethnicity or political affiliation, to defend democratic principles and institutions.
The lawmaker specifically criticized President Tinubu’s silence on the escalating political crisis in Rivers State, emphasising that the Federal Government was facilitating a military-style suppression of democracy.
In the words of Dickson; “This is not about Governor Fubara. It is not about political parties. It is about the people of Rivers State and the survival of democracy in Nigeria. If Rivers can be treated this way today, what stops it from being Lagos or Kano tomorrow?”
Senator Dickson, who spoke with journalists shortly after a joint session of the National Assembly commemorating Democracy Day, pointedly rebuffed suggestions of political motivation, stressing that his concerns transcend party lines and rooted in constitutional fidelity.
According to him; “President Tinubu’s speech was beautifully written, but his silence on Rivers betrays a troubling disregard for the rule of law.”
Dickson noted past power plays during 2023 general elections, particularly in Lagos, stressing that there were clear indicators of an emerging pattern of political repression supported by state institutions.
He further said; “What we saw in Lagos during the elections was a blatant power grab. What is happening in Rivers now is the continuation of that trend. President Tinubu’s address to the Joint Session of the National Assembly, failed to acknowledge constitutional aberration unfolding in Rivers.
Dickson said; “Let me start by saying Happy Democracy Day to all Nigerians — even though one might ask: are we truly happy? Democracy is supposed to inspire hope, but what we saw today in the Senate was a direct assault on that hope”.
Dickson’s outrage flowed from a communication from President Tinubu regarding political developments in Rivers State, which was read during the plenary session by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.
The former Bayelsa State governor said that his attempt to raise a constitutional point of order immediately after the announcement was “deliberately shut down” by Akpabio, stressing that his right as a Senator to raise a constitutional issue was completely ignored and disregarded.
In his words; “The Senate President rushed through the President’s message and ignored my intervention. That is not how democracy works. That is how military regimes operate.
“Tinubu’s administration is attempting to legitimize “unconstitutional governance” in Rivers State through federal backing. Such actions contradict the spirit of June 12, a day symbolizing Nigeria’s democratic struggle.
“It is deeply ironic that on a day meant to celebrate the triumph of civil authority, the Senate is endorsing actions that undermine the Constitution. Why read this communication today, of all days, if not to send a chilling message about federal overreach?”
“This is not just about one state or one governor. This is about our collective future. The struggle of June 12 wasn’t just about voting — it was about dignity, justice, and the voice of the people. We must not betray that legacy,” he warned.
