Senator Seriake Dickson says Tinubu’s appointments into Rivers State commissions threaten constitutional governance.
Senator Seriake Dickson has raised alarm over what he described as the “entrenchment of emergency rule” in Rivers State, following President Bola Tinubu’s nomination of candidates into key state commissions.
Speaking on Thursday, the Senator representing Bayelsa West expressed his displeasure after President Tinubu submitted letters to the Senate seeking confirmation of nominees for the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, Local Government Service Commission, and the Civil Service Commission.
The letters, read during plenary by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, were swiftly followed by a motion to proceed to a joint session with the House of Representatives. Senator Dickson attempted to raise a point of order but was overruled by the presiding officer.
Speaking to journalists after the joint session, Senator Dickson accused the federal government of overstepping its constitutional bounds, warning that the move threatens Nigeria’s democratic structure.
“This is a dangerous precedent,” Dickson said. “By making appointments into state institutions without recourse to the local constitutional mechanisms, the federal government is effectively imposing emergency rule in Rivers State.”
He stressed that such actions risk undermining the autonomy of state institutions and could set back democratic gains made since the end of military rule.
The development comes amid political tension in Rivers State, where internal power struggles have dominated headlines in recent months.
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