Former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bode George, has raised the alarm that President Bola Tinubu is attempting to legitimise illegality in the Rivers State using the National Assembly.

George’s warning comes amid the ongoing state of emergency in the state, which was declared by the President on March 18, 2025.

This is as the elderstateman stated that the PDP is still active contrary to opinions that the party is dead.

According to George, Tinubu’s request to the National Assembly for approval of key appointments in the state is a clear attempt to give a veneer of legitimacy to an inherently illegal situation.

“The President is trying to use the National Assembly to legitimise illegality in Rivers State,” George said. “This is a blatant disregard for the constitution and the rule of law.”

Speaking on Monday in Lagos, George stressed that the National Assembly’s role is to check the executive branch of government, not to rubber-stamp its actions, noting that the President’s actions are a threat to Nigeria’s democracy and stability.

He warned that the current trajectory poses a significant risk to the country’s future, particularly if the executive branch continues to disregard the constitution and the rule of law. “Enough is enough,” George said, calling on Nigerians to speak out against the President’s actions.

“In a letter presented and read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during a plenary session, the President requested confirmation for the appointment of a Chairman and six members of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC). These nominees were proposed by Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd.), the Sole Administrator responsible for overseeing the state’s affairs.

“The President underscored the necessity of these appointments to facilitate effective governance during the emergency period and to assist the administrator in managing state functions efficiently. The request also includes confirmations for positions within the Rivers State Primary Healthcare Board, the Rivers State Civil Service Commission, and the Rivers State Local Government Civil Service Commission.”

He stated that the President’s insistence on these appointments reveals a troubling disregard for democratic principles, saying this move raises serious concerns about the concentration of power and undermines the very fabric of our democratic institutions, suggesting a calculated effort to bypass accountability and manipulate state functions at a time when the people’s voice should be paramount.

“The Senate referred the matter to its ad-hoc committee on emergency rule in Rivers State, which is expected to submit its report within one week.

“The implication of above is that a person in office illegally is now being mandated to conduct council elections in this oil-bearing state.
I once told Tinubu that in 1972, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, the great and iconic Nigerian musician who was born by a clerical father and a radical mother, released his popular album, “Roforofo Fight” where he sang ‘When Trouble Sleep, Yanga Wake Am, Wetin E dey Find, Na Palaver E Dey Find. Na Palaver E Go Get oooo’. Fela died in 1997 but unfortunately, the effect of that song is still reverberating in Nigeria today.”

He added: “I want to reiterate that what the President is doing in this Rivers matter is completely illegal and Nigerians know this. Constitutionality is being disregarded and disrespected. It is not possible for illegality to overcome legality. It will never happen, now or later. “The President is not the government. The Governor is not the government. It is the people that constitute governance and government. The moment you take the mandate of the people away, it is no longer democracy. That is exactly what is happening in Rivers State.”