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A coalition of legal professionals under the banner of Lawyers in Defence of Democracy staged a peaceful protest on Wednesday, April 30, calling for the immediate restoration of democratic governance in Rivers State.
The lawyers urged the United States and the broader international community to mount pressure on the Nigerian Federal Government to reverse what they described as the unconstitutional suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the Rivers State House of Assembly.
Led by Country Director Barr. Uche Chukwu Udeh Sylvester, the group decried the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State by President Bola Tinubu, labeling it a violation of constitutional principles.
In a formal appeal addressed to former U.S. President Donald Trump, the lawyers called for international intervention, emphasizing that the suspension of the governor and the legislative arm represents a direct threat to Nigeria’s democratic fabric.
“This is a sober moment of reckoning,” their letter stated. “Democracy is meant to serve the people, yet we are witnessing a blatant disruption of constitutional order. Such actions belong in the era of military rule—not in today’s democratic Nigeria.”
They criticized the National Assembly’s decision to ratify the president’s move, calling it a dangerous precedent and a grave assault on democracy. The group appealed to President Tinubu to reconsider his stance and allow Governor Fubara to continue in office, in accordance with the will of the people.
“Democracy is a learning process,” they argued. “The judiciary is equipped to handle political crises. There was a similar local government crisis in Osun State recently, yet no state of emergency was declared. Rivers State deserves the same respect for due process.”
