“This Is Not Democracy!” – Bode George Blasts Tinubu Over Rivers Appointments

Former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Bode George, has called on the Senate to reject President Bola Tinubu’s request for appointments into key agencies in Rivers State, describing the move as illegal and a threat to Nigeria’s democracy.

Addressing a press conference in Lagos, George said Tinubu’s actions amount to “a dangerous slide into dictatorship” and warned that Nigeria is “staggering on the edge of self-destruction.” He accused the President of deliberately pushing divisive policies and disregarding the constitution.

The criticism comes on the heels of Tinubu’s formal request to the Senate for confirmation of appointments to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), the state’s Primary Healthcare Board, the Civil Service Commission, and the Local Government Civil Service Commission. These appointments are being proposed under the controversial state of emergency declared in Rivers on March 18, 2025, which saw the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and other elected officials.

“These are appointments being made by an administrator who was installed, not elected,” George warned, referencing Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd.), the sole administrator currently running the state. “A person in office illegally is now being mandated to conduct council elections in this oil-rich state. This is a travesty taken too far.”

He urged lawmakers to resist what he termed an assault on constitutional governance and reject the appointments outright. “Illegality cannot override legality,” he said, adding that the move is part of a broader scheme to centralize power and subvert democratic institutions.

“The President’s insistence on these appointments reveals a troubling disregard for democratic principles,” George stated. “It suggests a calculated effort to bypass accountability and manipulate state functions at a time when the people’s voice should be paramount.”

He warned that the nation is at a breaking point:

“If they don’t apply the brakes now, the wrong direction they are heading in may lead to political collapse.”

In a direct message to the President, George said:

“Tinubu, if your advisers are not ready to tell you the truth, Nigerians have spoken with one voice: your despotic tendencies—jettisoning democratic governance in the name of a state of emergency—cannot stand.”

He concluded by questioning the legality of removing elected officials under emergency rule, saying:

“Nowhere in the constitution is it written that democratically elected officials can be removed by emergency declaration. Is this democracy or dictatorship?”

The Senate has referred Tinubu’s request to an ad-hoc committee on the emergency rule in Rivers, with a report expected within the week.