Peter Obi Faults National Assembly’s Approval of State of Emergency in Rivers

Former Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has criticized the National Assembly for approving President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State.

Obi, in a post on his X handle on Friday, expressed concerns over the decision, stating that democracy in its true form does not exist in Nigeria.

Obi Condemns Lack of Opposition

According to the former Anambra State governor, democracy cannot thrive without a functional opposition, adding that the approval of the state of emergency despite widespread opposition from Nigerians highlights the weakness of the country’s democratic system.

Both the Senate and the House of Representatives ratified Tinubu’s declaration, with the Red Chamber also approving a six-month suspension of Governor Sim Fubara, his deputy, and all elected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

Obi described the current democratic system in Nigeria as “transactional, compromised, and, in many respects, resembling organised criminality.”

Calls for Electoral and Legislative Reforms

He emphasized that a true democratic system requires proportional representation, citing examples from South Africa and Indonesia, where opposition parties maintain strong representation in parliament.

“In South Africa, for example, the National Assembly has 400 seats. The African National Congress (ANC) received about 40% of the vote and holds approximately 160 seats, while the Democratic Alliance (DA), with about 20% of the vote, holds around 80 seats—alongside several other parties.

Those who contested the presidential election remain the recognised leaders of their respective parties,” Obi explained.

He further lamented the lack of laws prohibiting party defection in Nigeria, arguing that this weakens the opposition and undermines electoral integrity.

Obi called for urgent reforms to strengthen Nigeria’s democracy, enforce party discipline, and ensure fair representation, vowing to continue the fight for “genuine democracy.”