Renowned lawyer and activist, Dele Farotimi, has described Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a “de facto dictator” following his declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State.
Farotimi, in a strongly worded statement, asserted that Nigeria’s legal system is now subject to Tinubu’s personal will, rather than the constitution.
His remarks come in response to the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and state lawmakers under the emergency rule imposed by the federal government.
Farotimi criticized the move as an abuse of power, arguing that Tinubu has effectively replaced democratic governance with authoritarian rule.
“Our reality is that the law is now whatever Tinubu says it is, and whatever he wants it to be,” he stated. “Tinubu is the law. A de facto dictatorship has been foisted on us.”
His statement echoes concerns raised by legal experts and opposition figures who have condemned the federal government’s decision, calling it unconstitutional and an attack on Nigeria’s democratic institutions.
The declaration of emergency rule in Rivers State, which led to the appointment of a caretaker administrator, marks the first such action in Nigeria in over a decade.
While the presidency has justified it as necessary to address security threats and political instability, critics like Farotimi see it as a dangerous precedent that undermines the rule of law. The Nigerian Bar Association has also questioned the legality of Tinubu’s decision, warning that it could set the stage for further executive overreach in the country’s governance.
