Senator Henry Dickson has publicly opposed President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, deeming it unconstitutional.
In a statement released on his X page, he revealed that he voiced his objections during a closed Senate session, arguing that the declaration did not meet constitutional standards.
“As I have stated repeatedly, I raised my objections in the closed session on how the declaration fell short of constitutional prescription, based on my views as a democrat sworn to uphold the Nigerian Constitution,” Dickson stated.
While the debate on the state of emergency did not occur in an open plenary session, Senator Dickson acknowledged the contributions of senators who shared his concerns.
He specifically praised Senator Aminu Tambuwal for questioning the legality of suspending elected officials in Rivers State.
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“I want to thank Senator Aminu Waziri Tambuwal for his strong support of the unconstitutionality of the declaration, especially the aspect that deals with the suspension of the elected officials of the Rivers State government,” he said.
According to Dickson, a majority of senators supported the emergency proclamation, and no opportunity was given for a formal debate at plenary.
“I left the plenary before the Senate President was directed to report the outcome because I didn’t want to be present while what I opposed was being reported,” he revealed, adding that Tambuwal, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, and other lawmakers who shared his stance also left.
Despite the Senate’s position, Dickson insisted that he stood by his opposition.
“I spoke and voted against the proclamation in our closed session, supported by Senator Aminu Tambuwal and a few other senators who were not recognised to speak,” he emphasised.
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Senator Dickson acknowledged that there were ongoing efforts to modify the declaration, but he maintained that the core issue of its constitutionality was still unresolved.
“Though I acknowledge the effort being made by the leadership and President to moderate the terms of the declaration and to create a mechanism for oversight, theoretically, this does not counter the primary issue of constitutionality,” he wrote.
Dickson also criticized the Senate President, accusing him of attempting to silence him and misrepresenting his statements.
He referred to a widely circulated video that captured their exchange before the session was moved to a closed-door setting.
“As I said on the floor, the Senate President was very unfair to me by trying to censor my freedom of expression and by deliberately misrepresenting the import of what I said in the broadcast on Wednesday, which was the same thing I said on the floor yesterday,” Dickson stated.
Senator Dickson expressed gratitude to those who praised his composure during what he perceived as an “unexpected attempt at intimidation,” emphasizing that “the Senate is a meeting of equals, and everyone should be respected just as we accord respect to the Chair.”
He asserted that senators do not require the Senate President’s permission to voice their opinions on national matters. He stated his intention to formally address his concerns with the Senate President to prevent similar incidents in the future.
He reassured his constituents and the Nigerian public that he remains dedicated to upholding democratic principles.
“For someone like me who has been in the trenches over the years, all these challenges are actually a call to duty, and I, therefore, implore all people of goodwill to come together and ensure that participatory democracy is promoted in our country,” he concluded.
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