Ogona Anita
The Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners (ALDRAP) has petitioned the Authority of Heads of States and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), demanding sanctions against Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for imposing emergency rule in Rivers State.
In a letter dated March 30, 2025, and signed by Kenneth A. Amadi, Esq., ALDRAP accused President Tinubu of violating democratic principles by suspending the duly elected government of Rivers State and appointing a military administrator, Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (Rtd). The organization argued that the action contravenes the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance, which prohibits unconstitutional changes of government.
The state of emergency, declared on March 18, 2025, led to the six-month suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and all members of the Rivers State House of Assembly. The President justified his decision by citing political instability, security concerns, and the failure to rebuild the state’s House of Assembly, which was demolished in December 2023.
ALDRAP, however, dismissed these justifications as a pretext for political interference, stating that the crisis in Rivers State was merely a power struggle between Governor Fubara and his predecessor. The group condemned what it described as the militarization of governance and a blatant violation of democratic rights, calling for ECOWAS to apply the same sanctions imposed on Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali following unconstitutional power grabs in those countries.
The petition, sent to ECOWAS leaders and heads of state across West Africa, urged immediate action to uphold democratic standards and prevent further democratic backsliding in the region.
“This move by the Nigerian President is no different from the unconstitutional actions that ECOWAS has previously sanctioned in other member states,” the letter stated. “Failure to act will reinforce the perception of double standards and embolden further democratic erosion in the region.”
ECOWAS has yet to issue an official response to the petition.
Source: The Nigeria Lawyer
