Nigerian economy, security need state of emergency, not Rivers – Ndume tells Tinubu

Senator Ali Ndume, the lawmaker representing Borno South Senatorial District, has faulted President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of the state of emergency in Rivers State, arguing that the Nigerian economy and security need such an intervention the most. He also called on the President to prioritise three critical aspects- security, the welfare of citizens, and the economy- to quickly address the immediate concerns of many Nigerians. He made this known during his outing on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Friday, April 11, 2025. “Let the President forget about everything and concentrate on three things – security, welfare of citizens and economy,” Ndume stated. ALSO READ: APC youths blast Ndume over criticism of Tinubu’s appointments, loan management “His attention should go there as number 1, then he should create a state of emergency in those areas.” The President declared emergency rule in Rivers State after suspending Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Nma Odu, and all state Assembly members. He subsequently appointed retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd) as the sole administrator for six months to take charge of the state’s affairs. Ndume condemns state of emergency in Rivers However, the Borno lawmaker, who described himself as a democrat, disclosed that he was taken aback by Tinubu’s proclamation of emergency rule in Rivers. Though the President relied on Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution to make the proclamation, Ndume insisted that he acted wrongly. He added that, rather than going that route, he expected Tinubu to have gathered the political gladiators and resolve all lingering differences. He also disagreed with the President’s claim that all the Rivers political actors ignored his directives before implementing the emergency rule. ALSO READ: Ndume pushes for Ifeanyi Ubah’s widow as Anambra South Senator “I feel that the President would have worked seriously on bringing them (and) solving the problem rather than declaring a state of emergency. Call them, sit them down and say ‘go and sort your problem. “How can you ignore the President? When he removed them now, did they ignore the removal?” Ndume wondered.