A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Dele Momodu, has blasted President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, describing it as anti-democratic.
Tinubu suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and the Rivers State House of Assembly for six months, in addition to declaring a state of emergency due to the political crisis in the oil-rich state.
The move, however, was met with backlash.
Speaking on The Morning Brief, a programme on Channels Television on Monday, Momodu joined a long list of personalities across the country in criticizing the president’s decision.
“I think it is very unfortunate. I know President Tinubu very, 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’ve not asked him for anything, but we love him for his contributions to the movement in the past, which is now going down the drain,”; Momodu said.
He also accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of intimidating the opposition, warning Tinubu to be cautious.
“I’m saying it now openly to millions of Nigerians that people are deceiving President Tinubu, and he should not allow them to do so.
“He should just do his job. The only thing that can guarantee a second term is to do your job well. You do not need to intimidate anybody,” he added.
