“You Can’t Celebrate Democracy While Crippling It”: Senator Dickson Slams Tinubu Over Rivers Crisis
Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, representing Bayelsa West in the National Assembly, has launched a scathing critique of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for failing to address the ongoing emergency rule in Rivers State during his Democracy Day speech.
Speaking to journalists after the joint session of the National Assembly, Dickson said the President had missed a critical opportunity to demonstrate true democratic leadership by not using the symbolic occasion of June 12 to restore constitutional order in Rivers State.
“You cannot claim to be a democrat on one hand while trampling democracy underfoot on the other,” Dickson said. “The President missed a golden opportunity to strengthen our democracy by addressing the unconstitutional situation in Rivers.”
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He described Tinubu’s silence on the matter as “deafening” and argued that Democracy Day should have been used to reaffirm core democratic values — freedom, accountability, and the rule of law — instead of ignoring what he sees as a blatant suppression of democratic rights.
“This isn’t about party politics or where Governor Fubara comes from,” Dickson explained. “It’s about protecting the rights of the people of Rivers State and upholding the Constitution.”
Dickson criticized the President for what he called a dangerous precedent, warning that the same approach used in Rivers could be replicated in other states if left unchecked. “What’s stopping a future president from sacking elected leaders and appointing administrators to rule from Abuja?” he asked. “Power is never permanent.”
President Tinubu had declared a state of emergency in Rivers State on March 18, dissolving its elected government and suspending democratic institutions. Retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas was appointed Sole Administrator for an initial six-month period, a decision later endorsed by both chambers of the National Assembly through a voice vote.
Dickson questioned how the government could celebrate Democracy Day while allowing a de facto military-style administration to persist. “If there’s military rule in any part of Nigeria, democracy is endangered everywhere,” he said.
While acknowledging that Tinubu’s Democracy Day speech was “flowery” and “otherwise impressive,” Dickson said it lacked substance where it mattered most. “Words don’t prove democratic values — actions do,” he insisted.
The senator concluded with a call for all arms of government to recommit to democratic ideals and restore full constitutional order across the country. “Democracy must not only be celebrated,” he said. “It must be defended.”
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