By Anwar Usman
Former President of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan has stated that the suspension of the elected governor, deputy and members of the house of assembly in Rivers State could tarnish the reputation of the country.
The former president made the statement 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 revealing his stance about the political unrest in Rivers State, said although it is 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 is heavily dependent on the actions of the executive, legislature and judiciary of the country.
Jonathan’s comment on the state of emergency came after the Peoples Democratic Party governors contended that the President Bola Tinubu’s actions were unconstitutional and threatened Nigeria’s democratic principles.
He criticized the situation where an individual can dictate to the judiciary, noting that it makes it difficult for anyone to have faith in the judiciary.