Senator Ali Ndume, representing Borno South Senatorial District, has urged President Bola Tinubu to focus on declaring a state of emergency in Nigeria’s security and economy sectors, rather than in Rivers State. Ndume made this statement on Friday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Daily.
He emphasized that the president should prioritize addressing the country’s most urgent issues — insecurity, the struggling economy, and citizens’ welfare. “The president should focus on three key areas: security, citizens’ welfare, and the economy. These should be his top priority, and he should declare a state of emergency in those areas,” Ndume said.
As a self-described democrat, Ndume also criticized Tinubu’s decision to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State, calling it an incorrect move that surprised him.
The president had announced the emergency rule on March 18 in response to a long-standing political crisis in the state. He suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu, and all state lawmakers for six months, appointing retired Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas to manage the state in the interim. The decision was based on Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution, which allows for a state of emergency in cases of disaster, conflict, or national danger.
However, Ndume argued that the president should have sought to resolve the crisis through dialogue rather than imposing a state of emergency. “The president should have worked on bringing the political leaders together to resolve the issue, instead of declaring an emergency. He should have called them, sat them down, and told them to sort out their problems,” Ndume suggested.
He also dismissed claims that the politicians in Rivers had defied Tinubu’s earlier directives. “How could they have ignored the president? When he removed them, did they ignore the removal?” Ndume asked.