Asari Dokubo Speaks On Rivers Crisis

Former Niger Delta agitator and traditional ruler, Asari Dokubo, has voiced strong opinions on the ongoing political crisis in Rivers State, questioning the recent Supreme Court ruling. Dokubo condemned the court’s decision, claiming it went beyond its constitutional powers. He argued that while the Supreme Court is the highest legal authority, its ruling on Rivers State’s situation did not align with Nigerian law. Dokubo made the remarks in Channels TV’s Morning Brief programme on Monday. He raised concerns about the Supreme Court’s involvement in local government elections, stating that such cases should end at the High Court and not be taken to the Supreme Court. The controversy follows a Supreme Court ruling that halted federal allocations to Rivers State until the budget is properly presented and approved by the state assembly. The court also annulled the local government election held in October 2024. Speaking on the issue, Dokubo said, “What is happening in Rivers State is one individual wanting to pocket Rivers State. And a lot of commentators have analyzed the situation in Rivers State and have called on President Ahmed Bola Tinubu to step in and arrest the situation. “I did a live broadcast on the 12th of December, 2023. We had the first real meeting, which was very, very biased, tilted towards supporting Nyesom Wike, the Minister for the Federal Capital Territory. These live broadcasts have become viral recently because of the pronouncement of the Supreme Court. “I’m not going to call the pronouncement of the Supreme Court a judgment because there is nothing that the pronouncement of the Supreme Court said that had anything to do with the law in Nigeria. It’s a total abuse of the law of Nigeria. Everybody knows, all of us know, that the Supreme Court is supposed to be the final arbiter. “The words of the Supreme Court are final. So, the Supreme Court must assume that because their words are final, they will import into these powers that they do not have; morally depraved decisions that are clearly against the constitution and the people of Nigeria. We’re not just talking about Rivers State.” He questioned whether the Supreme Court had the authority to rule on local government election matters: “For instance, does the Supreme Court really have jurisdiction to adjudicate on issues concerning local government elections? It’s very clear. Local government election adjudication ends at the court of first instance, which is a high court. So, where did the Supreme Court derive its power in making pronouncements on elections, post-election litigations arising from the elections in Rivers State?” Dokubo also criticized the court for making rulings on issues that were not originally before it. “Number two, how would the Supreme Court talk about something and adjudicate on a matter that was not before it? Can the Supreme Court go on a flurry of its own to import matters that were not before it and start to make decisions on those matters? The issue of defection was not before the Supreme Court. The issue of defection is still at the high court. So, how did the Supreme Court get those matters into the Supreme Court to make pronouncements on them? Other than that, there were people behind the scenes dictating to the Supreme Court what to say.” “So, they have said it. And I think the governor was in a haste to have accepted the judgment,” he added.