AfriPulse
A human rights lawyer, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, SAN, has said
that there is no reason for celebration in Rivers State with the return of
Governor Siminalayi Fubara following the end of emergency rule in the state.
Adegboruwa stated this on Thursday, while responding to
questions in an interview on ‘The Morning Brief’, a programme on Channels
Television,
He said that Nigerian politicians should instead draw
lessons from the episode and work to strengthen democracy by respecting
constitutional provisions.
“I do not see any cause for celebration in any way. If
people exercise their mandate to elect others into office, as they did to
Siminalayi Fubara and all the members of the House of Assembly, it is a sacred
mandate that should be preserved at all costs,” he said.
The senior lawyer stressed the need for judicial
interpretation of the President’s constitutional powers during a state of
emergency, particularly under Section 305.
He also described the section as “a controversial provision”
that leaves gaps in defining the extent of presidential authority.
“When there is a need to declare a state of emergency, the
consequential powers to be exercised by the President must be stated
definitely. If there is a reason for a single individual, such as the
President — with all due respect — to interfere with that mandate, the
circumstances should be spelt out within the Constitution.” Adegboruwa added.
Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
Source: NigerianEye | Read the Full Story…
