Abuja, Nigeria – June 12, 2025
Senator Seriake Dickson, the lawmaker representing Bayelsa West, has delivered a scathing rebuke of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s continued silence over the deepening political crisis in Rivers State, warning that such inaction poses a grave threat to Nigeria’s democratic survival.
Speaking to journalists after a joint session of the National Assembly convened to commemorate Democracy Day, Dickson described Tinubu’s silence as “a dangerous affront to democracy” and accused the federal government of eroding constitutional principles under the guise of national interest.
> “You cannot preach democracy and practise autocracy,” Dickson declared with unmistakable passion. “President Tinubu’s speech was beautifully crafted, but its emptiness lies in what it omits—Rivers State.”
Dickson’s outburst came shortly after Senate President Godswill Akpabio read a presidential communication addressing the Rivers situation—an act Dickson interpreted as a symbolic and deliberate provocation.
> “Democracy is supposed to inspire hope, but what we saw today in the Senate was a direct assault on that hope,” he said. “To read this controversial communication on Democracy Day is a chilling message that federal overreach now masquerades as governance.”
He accused the Senate of enabling authoritarian tendencies and called the president’s silence an implicit endorsement of unconstitutional acts, including the alleged suspension of Rivers Governor Siminalayi Fubara and elected state officials.
“This isn’t about Fubara, nor is it about partisan loyalties,” Dickson emphasized. “It is about the people of Rivers State—and, by extension, the Nigerian people. If Rivers can be subjected to this federal strong-arm tactic today, what stops it from being Lagos, Kano, or even Bayelsa tomorrow?”
Drawing a chilling comparison with the controversial 2023 elections in Lagos, the former Bayelsa governor suggested a growing pattern of anti-democratic behavior from the ruling establishment.
> “The elections in Lagos were nothing short of a calculated power grab. What’s happening in Rivers now is an extension of that dangerous trend. We’re sliding toward a governance model where brute force trumps the will of the people.”
Dickson reminded the public of the symbolic weight of June 12, Nigeria’s Democracy Day, which commemorates the 1993 election annulment and the struggle for democratic restoration.
> “June 12 wasn’t just about voting—it was about dignity, justice, and giving Nigerians a voice. We are betraying that legacy if we allow constitutional violations to go unchecked.”
He also revealed that he had led a dramatic walkout from the Senate chamber on March 20, 2025, in protest of what he described as a “constitutional travesty”—the Senate’s approval of Tinubu’s controversial request to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State.
According to Dickson, the Senate bypassed the constitutionally mandated two-thirds majority and relied instead on a mere voice vote, effectively rubber-stamping executive overreach.
> “I raised my objections during a closed session. The constitution is clear. The Senate cannot override it for political convenience,” Dickson said. He praised Senator Aminu Tambuwal for standing firm in challenging what he described as the illegal suspension of duly elected officials in Rivers State.
The federal government’s decision to suspend Governor Fubara has triggered widespread outrage from legal experts, civil society organizations, and democracy advocates nationwide. Critics argue that the move sets a dangerous precedent for political witch-hunting and federal interference in sub-national governance.
As Nigerians reflect on the ideals of Democracy Day, Senator Dickson’s thunderous warning cuts deep: “This is not just about one state. It’s about our collective future. We must defend the soul of our democracy before it’s too late.”
PIONEER NEWS 