Anifowose Samson
Senator Seriake Dickson has criticized President Bola Tinubu for his silence on the ongoing political crisis in Rivers State, accusing the Federal Government of enabling a creeping suppression of democracy.
Speaking after a joint National Assembly session to mark Democracy Day, the Bayelsa West senator condemned what he described as a “constitutional aberration” backed by federal power.
Dickson expressed dismay that Tinubu’s Democracy Day speech failed to address the unrest in Rivers, where tensions between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and political opponents continue to raise concerns.
He was particularly angered that his attempt to raise a constitutional point of order in the Senate was ignored.
“My right as a Senator to raise a constitutional issue was completely disregarded,” he said. “That’s not how democracy works. That’s how military regimes operate.”
He noted that the decision to read the President’s communication during the June 12 session, a day symbolic of Nigeria’s democratic struggle, was a deliberate act to demonstrate federal dominance.
“Why read this communication today, of all days, if not to send a chilling message about federal overreach?” Dickson questioned.
He warned that the situation in Rivers is not isolated, citing similar patterns of federal interference during the last general elections in Lagos.
“We are sliding into a dangerous place where federal might is used to subvert local democracy,” he stated, urging Nigerians to resist all forms of unconstitutional governance.
“This is about our collective future… The struggle of June 12 wasn’t just about voting — it was about dignity, justice, and the voice of the people,” he concluded.
