By Chijindu Emeruwa
Former Abia State governorship aspirant under the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ambassador Chibuike Ukauwa, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reconsider his leadership approach, which he described as being marked by impunity.
Speaking over the weekend in Port Harcourt, Ukauwa condemned the manner in which Nigeria is being governed, warning that Tinubu’s actions are steering the country toward destruction. His remarks came in response to the President’s recent declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State and the subsequent approval of the emergency rule by the National Assembly.
President Tinubu had justified the extraordinary measure by citing constitutional breaches and security threats. As part of the enforcement, he appointed retired Naval chief Ibok Ete Ibas as the sole administrator of Rivers State.
However, Ukauwa, popularly known as Swaz, criticized the decision, describing it as a blatant assault on constitutional democracy. He berated the President for disregarding calls to reverse the emergency rule, arguing that Tinubu’s administration is turning Nigeria into a lawless society. He further stressed that the federal government lacks the constitutional authority to suspend an elected governor, an action not recognized by the nation’s laws.
Decrying the suspension of Governor Sim Fubara and other elected officials, Ukauwa accused Tinubu of taking sides in the Rivers political crisis to serve the interests of a single individual rather than the people of the state.
The former governorship aspirant also condemned the National Assembly’s swift approval of the emergency rule, labeling lawmakers as enablers of impunity. He alleged that federal legislators had surrendered their independence, becoming mere puppets under Tinubu’s administration.
“The APC-controlled National Assembly has betrayed public trust by endorsing this unconstitutional emergency rule, despite widespread calls for its rejection,” Ukauwa stated.
He further urged the suspended Rivers governor, Sim Fubara, and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to embrace dialogue as a means of resolving their political feud. He also called on Nigerians to rise in defense of democracy, warning that continued constitutional violations by the Tinubu administration and the APC could lead to the total collapse of democratic governance in the country.
