PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu’s recent declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State has sparked a fresh debate over his past stance on similar actions.
In 2004 and 2013, as a key opposition figure, Tinubu criticised both the then President, Olusegun Obasanjo, and Goodluck Jonathan for imposing a state of emergency in Plateau, Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa states.
In 2004, Tinubu stated that the removal of the Plateau State Governor, Joshua Dariye, by ex-president Obasanjo was illegal. In 2013, he described it as a “dangerous trend in the art of governance” and an attempt to subvert democracy.
However, years later, Tinubu has deployed the same action in Rivers State by suspending Governor Siminalayi Fubara, while appointing a Sole Administrator, a vice admiral, Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd), to oversee the state’s affairs.
On Tuesday, March 18, President Tinubu declared a State of Emergency in Rivers State, following unending political turbulence in the oil rich state.
In a nationwide broadcast, the president suspended the Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and all members of the State House of Assembly for six months.
Tinubu blamed the governor and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, for allowing the political crisis in the state to fester.
He particularly criticised Fubara for failing to take action after an oil facility was blown up in the state on Tuesday night.
While this move has triggered debate over its legality, it has similarly led to accusations of double standard by Tinubu who, not once, criticised the declaration of state of emergency and declared it illegal.
‘Removal of Dariye is illegal’ – Tinubu
In May 2004, Obasanjo declared a state of emergency in Plateau State, due to rising ethnic and religious violence, particularly in Yelwa.
Responding to this, Obasanjo suspended the then Plateau State governor Joshua Dariye, citing his inability to curb the ongoing violence between Muslim and Christian communities.
Like Tinubu, Obasanjo also replaced them with a retired military officer, Chris Alli, a major general, as the sole administrator. He justified the action by saying the state government had lost control of the crisis, making federal intervention necessary.
However, Tinubu, who was then Lagos State Governor publicly condemned Dariye’s removal, calling it illegal.
Although the detail of his comment is still unclear, a news headline by Comet shared by Archivi.ng on X, indicated that Tinubu insisted that the federal government had no right to remove a duly elected governor under the guise of emergency rule.
What Tinubu said in 2013
Similarly, in a statement in May 2013, Tinubu condemned former president Jonathan over his decision to declare a state of emergency in three northern states, arguing that it undermined democracy and was a ploy to weaken political opponents.
“By declaring a state of emergency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, he has intimidated and emasculated the governors of these States. We are witnessing a dangerous trend in the art of governance and a deliberate ploy to subvert constitutional democracy,” Tinubu reportedly said at the time.
Jonathan had declared a state of emergency in Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, after a series of deadly attacks by Boko Haram militants.
He ordered the military to take all necessary action to put an end to the impunity of insurgents and terrorists in the three states. He also ordered more troops to be sent to the north-eastern states.
However, Tinubu warned that using military force instead of addressing underlying governance issues would only fuel extremism and alienate citizens.
He also added that state governors were being unfairly blamed for security failures controlled by the federal government.
“The President’s pronouncement, which seeks to abridge or has the potential of totally scuttling the constitutional functions of Governors and other elected representatives of the people, will be counterproductive in the long run. A State of Emergency already exists in the states where JTF operates. Residents of these communities live in constant fear. Their rights are violated with impunity under the guise of searching for terrorists in their respective domains.
“Hiding under some nebulous claims which border on the intractability of the security challenges posed by Boko Haram or some acclaimed traditionalists who have killed some policemen to render ineffective the constitutional powers vested in elected governors and other representatives of the people, perceived as not amenable to manipulation for the 2015 project amounts to reducing serious issues bordering on the survival of the country to partisan politics,” Tinubu was quoted to have said.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: umustapha@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M