The soul of democracy is not tested during elections. It is tested when power is challenged, and restraint is required. The recent political developments in Rivers State, particularly the Senate’s screening of nominees into state boards during a period of executive uncertainty, raise deep constitutional and democratic concerns. At the centre of it all is a question Nigerians have asked before; Are we still governed by the rule of law or by the rule of power?

What is unfolding in Rivers State is more than a local dispute. It is a litmus test for Nigeria’s federalism.

Nigeria’s federal structure is enshrined in the 1999 Constitution. Each state, governed by an elected governor, is a co-equal unit in our federation, not a subsidiary of the federal government. The role of the president, while powerful, is not imperial. There is no constitutional provision, express or implied, that empowers the President to suspend a sitting governor. Any action suggesting otherwise must be approached with utmost caution, lest it set a precedent that undermines the autonomy of all 36 states.

The Senate’s decision to proceed with screening appointments into Rivers State boards, amid unresolved questions about executive authority in the state, adds to the appearance of overreach and federal intrusion. If unchecked, it risks normalizing a dangerous pattern of central interference in state governance.

We must learn from our past. During the military regime of General Sani Abacha, Nigeria experienced one of its darkest periods. State institutions were stripped of independence, opposition voices were silenced, and power was concentrated in a single hand. While the regime tried to present its rule as orderly and necessary, history has judged it differently. Nigerians remember not just the decisions made under that government but the long-term damage they did to federalism, human rights, and the national psyche.

 Ironically, one of the fiercest critics of that authoritarian era was Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, then a vocal advocate for democracy under the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO). He, along with other brave Nigerians, risked everything to resist military dictatorship and advocate for civilian rule. Tinubu was forced into exile for championing the very principles we now see under threat: the sanctity of electoral mandates, the autonomy of federating units, and the supremacy of the constitution.

Today, as president, he occupies a seat built by those sacrifices. It is only fitting, therefore, to urge him, not in defiance, but in good faith to remain the guardian of those same democratic values he once defended so courageously.

Mr. President, the leadership Nigeria needs now is not control but constitutionalism. Not domination, but dialogue. Not political chess games, but principled governance.

The South-South region is politically conscious. The people of Rivers State are proud, determined, and democratic. We are not strangers to political tension, but we have always believed in resolving issues through law, not force. Attempts to manipulate governance processes from the centre can only deepen division, erode trust, and inflame the very tensions we seek to resolve.

History teaches us that citizens may endure injustice, but they do not forget it. Legacies are not built by how much power one holds, but how wisely one uses it.

Let the judiciary remain above partisan influence. Let the National Assembly reclaim its role as a voice of the people, not an extension of the executive. Let the President rise above political pressures and reaffirm his commitment to the Nigerian Constitution.

Let us all resist the temptation to treat political expediency as governance. Once we normalize the bypassing of constitutional authority in one state, we open the door for it to happen anywhere and to anyone.

Let us not mistake the call for constitutional order as political opposition. On the contrary, it is patriotism. It is a plea for stability. It is a reminder that the very democracy we enjoy today was earned through sacrifice and resistance to overreach, just as President Tinubu once exemplified.

Rivers State must be allowed to govern itself within the law. No one is above the Constitution. And no region, no matter how politically different, deserves to be treated as expendable.

Nigeria has come too far to go backwards.

- By Ebony Nwuke-Ibe