A prominent Niger Delta activist, Anabs Sara-Igbe, has articulated a robust defense of state gubernatorial powers, challenging the notion of presidential intervention in state governance.
“If today you are the governor, or you’re the former governor, and Mr. President now sits down without considering the interest of the state, the state has the right to protest,” Sara-Igbe declared during a Symfoni TV interview.
The activist emphasized the state’s response to presidential involvement, quoting their message: “Thank you for intervening, but you don’t have the power to give directives to the governor.”
Sara-Igbe meticulously outlined constitutional constraints, stating, “Under the 1999 Constitution, Mr. President does not have any power to direct the governor. What Mr. President can do is to consult with the governor and not to direct him because they were all elected the same way.”
He further elaborated on the democratic equivalence of state and federal leadership: “They were all elected by the people. River State is a component part of the Federation. Mr. President is the head of all the components of the Federation.”
Concluding with a powerful affirmation of state autonomy, Sara-Igbe asserted, “A River State governor has the powers to run the state without being directed by Mr. President. So, for Mr. President to give directives that are not in line with the Constitution, the Rivers people have the right to protest.”
The comments represent a forceful exposition of state rights and constitutional governance in Nigeria’s federal structure.
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