Senator Seriake Dickson has accused President Bola Tinubu of enabling what he described as a “military-style suppression of democracy” through his silence on the deepening political crisis in Rivers State.
Speaking to journalists after a joint session of the National Assembly to mark Democracy Day, the Senator representing Bayelsa West expressed disappointment that President Tinubu’s Democracy Day address made no mention of what he called a “constitutional aberration” in Rivers.
Senator Dickson, a former governor of Bayelsa State, described the President’s silence as deeply troubling. He alleged that his attempt to raise a constitutional point of order in the Senate was deliberately shut down — a move he said reflects autocratic tendencies, not democratic values.
Quoting him:
“My right as a Senator to raise a constitutional issue was completely disregarded… That’s not how democracy works. That’s how military regimes operate.”
He accused the Tinubu administration of backing what he termed “unconstitutional governance” in Rivers State and said the actions of the Senate on Democracy Day contradicted the very spirit of June 12.
While acknowledging the President’s speech as eloquent, Senator Dickson said it was disconnected from the realities on the ground. He warned that undermining democracy in Rivers State could set a dangerous precedent for the rest of the country.
Emphasizing that his concerns were rooted in constitutional principles and not political affiliations, Senator Dickson concluded by urging Nigerians to defend democratic institutions and the rule of law.
