Opposition to the March 18 declaration of State of Emergency in Rivers State by President Bola Tinubu continued to mount with opposition political leaders, yesterday, accusing the president of betrayal of the oath of office he swore, “to do right to all manner of people, according to law, without fear or favour, affection or ill-will.”

The group, which styled itself as Concerned Leaders and Political Stakeholders in Nigeria, and led by former Vice President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, said Tinubu failed to rise above the fray, but rather “yielded to petty favouritism” in the declaration of the State of Emergency.

Others present at the press conference were presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, who was represented by Yunusa Tanko, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, National Secretary of the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), Peter Ahmeh, and Convenor of the Alternative, Segun Showunmi, among others.

Absent with apologies were former governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, his Ekiti State counterpart, Kayode Fayemi, and immediate past National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Adamu Atiku, who read the text of the press conference, said Tinubu’s action was not only unlawful but a subversion of democracy and imposition of autocratic federal control over a duly elected state government.

“We strongly condemn this development and call on all Nigerians of good conscience to resist this brazen assault on the constitution of our country and the institutions of our democracy,” he demanded.