Former deputy national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olabode George, has criticized President Bola Tinubu over the constitution of a local government electoral commission in Rivers State under what he described as an “illegally appointed” sole administrator.
Speaking at a press conference in Lagos on Monday, George said the president’s move to legitimize the activities of Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (rtd), the sole administrator of Rivers, undermines Nigeria’s democracy.
He described the planned local government elections to be conducted under Ibas as unconstitutional.
“It is not possible for illegality to overcome legality. It will never happen, now or later,” George said.
He accused the Tinubu-led government of executive recklessness and warned that Nigeria is “dangerously staggering on the path of self-destruction.”
The PDP chieftain said the president’s letter to the senate, requesting confirmation of nominees for the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), exposes “a troubling disregard for democratic principles.”
According to George, “The implication of the above is that a person in office illegally is now being mandated to conduct council elections in this oil-bearing state.”
He warned that the president’s actions in Rivers could ignite a broader national crisis if not addressed.
George said: “It is disheartening that Nigeria is precariously and dangerously staggering on the path of self-destruction. I pray this trouble does not start from Rivers State.
“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.”
He said that 26 years after the return of civilian rule, Nigerians were still forced to confront attempts to centralize power and bypass accountability.
George also criticized PDP governors and members who defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), declaring that they would eventually regret the move.
“Our party remains a well-structured platform that can weather the storm.
“They should go and learn from those who left the party in the past and later retraced their steps,” he stated.
The article was originally published on Politics Nigeria.
