The Senator representing Borno South, Ali Ndume, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently declare a state of emergency on Nigeria’s security and economic sectors, stating that these areas require immediate and undivided attention to salvage the nation from its worsening crisis.
Ndume made this bold call on Friday during an interview on Politics Today, a political affairs programme on Channels Television.
He did not mince words as he criticized the President's recent move to impose emergency rule in Rivers State, labeling it as misguided and unnecessary.
“Let the President forget about everything and concentrate on three things – security, welfare of citizens, and the economy,” Ndume declared. “His attention should go there as number one. He should declare a state of emergency in those areas.”
The Senator, who described himself as a staunch democrat, expressed shock over Tinubu’s proclamation of emergency rule in Rivers State, describing it as a misstep amid a political crisis that could have been resolved through dialogue.
In a surprising announcement on March 18, President Tinubu suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and all members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for six months.
The president cited protracted political instability in the oil-rich state as justification for his action, invoking Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution which permits such declarations in situations of national emergency.
To fill the power vacuum, the President appointed retired Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas as the interim administrator of the state, a decision that has since sparked legal, political, and public debates.
However, Senator Ndume insists that such drastic action was uncalled for. He argued that President Tinubu should have opted for reconciliation and dialogue rather than force.
“I feel the President should have worked seriously on bringing the actors together and resolving the problem rather than declaring a state of emergency,” he said.
“Call them, sit them down and say, ‘go and sort out your problems’. How can you say they ignored the President? When he removed them now, did they ignore the removal?”
The lawmaker’s statement comes as Nigeria grapples with multiple security threats, including terrorism, kidnapping, and banditry, alongside a struggling economy marked by inflation, high unemployment, and rising poverty levels.
Ndume’s comments add to the growing chorus of voices urging the Tinubu-led administration to prioritize critical national issues over political battles and use constitutional powers to protect citizens' lives and livelihoods rather than enforce political dominance.
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