Former President Goodluck Jonathan has stated that suspending elected officials in Rivers State has tarnished the country’s image.
He made the remark at the Haske Satumari Foundation Colloquium in Abuja on Saturday.
“These actions by key actors in the executive and legislative arms of government paint the country in a negative light,” he said.
Jonathan, while sharing his thoughts about the political turmoil in Rivers State, said although it was not the norm for former presidents to comment on issues in the polity so as not to heat up the polity, he insisted that the image of the country and how much investments a country attracts was heavily dependent on the actions of the executive, legislature and judiciary of the country.
Jonathan’s comment on the emergency rule came after the Peoples Democratic Party governors contended that the President Bola Tinubu’s actions were unconstitutional and threatened Nigeria’s democratic principles.
Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State and suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara; his deputy, Ngozi Odu; as well as members of the state House of Assembly for six months.
However, Jonathan said, his comment became necessary after calls from many Nigerians, urging him to speak on the events in Rivers State.
He faulted the situation where an individual could dictate to the judiciary, noting that “it makes it difficult for anyone to have faith in the judiciary.”
