The Northern Regional Caucus in the House of Representative comprising members from the 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) yesterday backed President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State.

In a statement, Chairman Alhassan Doguwa dismissing the opposition to the development. He said: “In view of the ongoing discourse on the state of emergency in Rivers State, we are compelled to state clearly that the steps taken by Mr President are apt, timely, and constitutionally appropriate.

“As a legislative institution, we will not allow Mr. President’s constitutional emergency declaration to fail. “The opposition are simply trying to be political about this matter.

“While we are not insensitive to the constitutional imperatives and implications involved, we will not ignore or take for granted the derailment of law and order in Rivers State.

“We cannot also as a legislative house or as a government sit down and allow miscreants, hoodlums, and politically motivated thugs continue to destroy critical national assets at the expense of our national economy.”

The caucus condemned the destruction of pipelines in Niger Delta. Doguwa said: “In the circumstances, therefore, I would like to, on behalf of the Northern Regional Caucus of the 10th House of Representatives, state that we are in total support of the state of emergency declared by Mr President in the discharge of his constitutional powers as clearly stated in Section 305 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“The so-called coalition of opposition party leaders must live above partisan lines and be wary that the laws of the land are unambiguously sacrosanct and cannot be contemplated by anyone.

“At the parliament, we are collectively, in this case, guided by our moral conscience, commitments to protecting democratic ideals, respect for our supreme legal document and, of course, by historical precedence.”