A coalition of civil society organisations has staged a peaceful protest in Port Harcourt, calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately restore democratic governance in Rivers State.
The coalition includes the Pilex Centre for Civic Education Initiative – The Peoples Advocates, Kebetkache Women Development & Resource Centre, Women’s Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA), and several other concerned organisations.
The protest, which began at D/Line and terminated at the Government House, was marked by chants and speeches demanding an end to what the groups described as the federal government’s unconstitutional interference in the state’s democratic processes.
Speaking at the Government House, Courage Nsirimovu, Coordinator of the PILEX Centre –The Peoples Advocates, linked the Rivers political crisis to the legacy of the annulled June 12, 1993, presidential election.
Also see: Tinubu Visits Benue Attack Victims
“June 12 is a painful memory for Nigerians, a day that signified both hope and betrayal. It was the freest and fairest election ever conducted, yet the will of the people was trashed. March 18, 2025, evokes that same pain and anger.
“The President acted outside his constitutional powers by suspending democracy in Rivers State.”
Nsirimovu cited the Supreme Court’s ruling in Attorney General of the Federation v Attorney General of Lagos State, noting that the President does not have the legal authority to remove an elected governor.
He argued that Rivers State had not witnessed a breakdown of law and order comparable to situations in Benue and Plateau States that would warrant such federal intervention or a declaration of a state of emergency.
The coalition emphasized that, by law, only a duly elected governor has the constitutional power to appoint the chairman and board of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), as well as conduct local government elections. Any attempt by an unelected authority to usurp these responsibilities, they warned, would be deemed illegitimate and resisted by the people.
To halt what they described as a “reign of impunity and dictatorship,” the coalition issued the following demands:
Immediate Restoration of Democracy: An executive declaration from President Tinubu reinstating Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the Rivers State House of Assembly.
Amendment of Section 60(5) of the Electoral Act 2022 to mandate the electronic transmission of results from polling units. The group called for the removal of the clause “as prescribed by INEC/The Commission” and for results not electronically transmitted to be declared invalid.
Amendment of Section 51 of the Electoral Act 2022 to invalidate results from polling units where ballot boxes are snatched or where serious violence disrupts voting. The group also called for reruns in such areas if the results could influence the final outcome.
The protesters warned that failure to restore democratic governance in Rivers State would place the Tinubu administration on the wrong side of history.
“Nigerians remember June 12 because of the painful lessons it taught us about democracy and dictatorship,” Nsirimovu said. “We cannot allow history to repeat itself in Rivers State.”
