The Pilex Centre for Civic Education Initiative has called on the National Assembly to commence impeachment proceedings against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, accusing him of gross misconduct in the handling of governance in Rivers State.
In a petition addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, the organisation alleged that the President violated the Nigerian Constitution by suspending democratic structures in Rivers State and appointing a sole administrator in place of the elected governor and legislature.
The group argued that while Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) empowers the President to declare a state of emergency, it does not grant him authority to suspend an elected governor or dissolve the House of Assembly. Citing Supreme Court precedents, including A.G. Federation v. A.G. Lagos State (2004) and A.G. Plateau State v. A.G. Federation (2013), Pilex maintained that Tinubu’s actions amount to an unconstitutional takeover of a part of Nigeria.
“The President swore to defend the Constitution and not allow personal interests to influence his official conduct. His decision to impose a sole administrator in Rivers State, empower him to appoint members of the State Independent Electoral Commission, and issue unconstitutional directives to the governor represent a grave violation of the Constitution,” the petition stated.
The NGO also faulted the Executive Order on Emergency Powers (Conduct of Local Government Council Elections and Local Government Election Tribunal Proceedings Regulations 2025), which it said unlawfully vested the sole administrator with powers reserved for the governor under Sections 198 and 201 of the Constitution.
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Pilex further alleged that the Rivers crisis was not comparable to situations in Plateau or Benue, where emergency rule followed widespread conflict. Instead, the group claimed, Rivers was relatively peaceful before the federal intervention, describing the move as politically motivated and detrimental to democracy and social justice.
Quoting Section 14 of the Constitution, the organisation insisted that sovereignty belongs to the people and accused the President of denying Rivers people their right to participate in governance.
“We therefore urge the Senate to investigate these grave allegations and impeach President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in line with its constitutional duty to defend democracy and the rule of law,” the petition, signed by Pilex Director Courage Nsirimovu, concluded.
The petition was also copied to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, international human rights groups, opposition leaders, foreign embassies, and civil society organisations.
