Former Nigerian president, Goodluck Jonathan, has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s decision to suspend the governor and other elected officials in Rivers State, stating that it has tarnished the country’s image.
Jonathan, who spoke on Saturday at the Haske Satumari Foundation Colloquium in Abuja, expressed his disappointment at the removal of elected officials.
President Tinubu had declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, suspending Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the state House of Assembly for six months.
Tinubu had cited Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution, stating that the emergency measure was necessary to restore peace.
However, Jonathan argued that the actions of key government actors painted the country in a negative light.
“These actions by key actors in the executive and legislative arms of government paint the country in a negative light,” he said.
He emphasised that the image of the country and its attractiveness to investments depend heavily on the actions of the executive, legislature, and judiciary.
As quoted by the Channels TV, Jonathan observed that it is not the norm for former presidents to comment on issues in the polity in order not to exacerbate political tension, adding that his comment was necessitated by persistent calls from many Nigerians to speak on the events in Rivers State as a prominent son of the Niger Delta.
He decried the situation where an individual can dictate to the judiciary what to do, saying that it makes it difficult for anyone to have faith in the judiciary.
SaharaReporters reports that under former President Goodluck Jonathan administration, three states of Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe were declared State of emergency on May 15, 2013 due to the activities of Boko Haram extremists.
However, he didn’t suspended democratic institutions, marking a clear departure from Obasanjo’s handling of emergencies and Tinubu.
Jonathan’s comments come amid growing criticism of President Tinubu’s decision.
Former Kaduna governor, Nasir El-Rufai, for instance, had called the suspension of the Rivers State elected officials unconstitutional, urging a return to democratic principles.
