Dele Momodu, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has warned President Bola Tinubu to take caution while criticizing his decision to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State, calling it “anti-democratic.”
It can be recalled that Tinubu on March 18, suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and the Rivers State House of Assembly for six months.
Reacting to the president’s move on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief programme, Momodu said, “I think it is very unfortunate. I know President Tinubu very, very, very well. Though I’ve not been in the same party [with him] and all that, we were together in exile, and he fought gallantly for this democracy. So a lot of us, co-comrades at that time, are actually very embarrassed that we have a pro-democracy leader in government, and yet what we are witnessing is worse than dictatorship,” he said on Monday.
“I’m pleading with President Bola Tinubu, ‘Please don’t kill democracy in Nigeria.’ Everybody who loves him will tell him this. I don’t; I’ve not asked him for anything or anything, but we love him for his contributions to the motivation in the back, which is what is going down the drain,” Momodu added.
The PDP chieftain also accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of using intimidation tactics against the opposition and warned Tinubu to “watch your back.”
“I’m saying it now openly to millions of Nigerians that people are deceiving President Tinubu, and he should not allow people to deceive you,” he said on the show.
“He should just do his job. The only thing that can guarantee a second time is to do your job well. You do not need to intimidate anybody.”
The crisis in Rivers State can be traced to the political battle between FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and Governor Siminalayi Fubara.