Former Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Political Matters, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, has urged President Bola Tinubu to reconsider the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State.
In a statement issued on Tuesday night, titled “Back to Ground Zero: Who Advised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to Do This?”, Ojudu warned that such a decision could destabilize the Niger Delta region and severely impact the economy. He argued that those advising the president to take this path do not have Nigeria’s best interests at heart.
“If this is true, then I must ask: Who advised the President to take this course of action? Whoever it is, they are certainly not a friend of his administration, nor do they have the best interests of Nigeria at heart,” Ojudu stated.
He described the political crisis in Rivers as one that could be resolved through dialogue, suggesting that Tinubu should summon the key political actors involved and read them the riot act. “One of them, after all, is your appointee. What will it benefit you, Mr. President, to keep Wike and lose the Nigerian economy?” he questioned.
Ojudu reminded the president that past unrest in the Niger Delta had twice driven Nigeria into recession under Buhari’s administration. He highlighted how oil production plummeted from 2.5 million barrels per day to below 400,000 barrels per day due to political conflicts in the region, warning that history could repeat itself.
“If the situation escalates, we risk renewed pipeline sabotage, illegal oil bunkering, and militant activities. We risk another economic nosedive—at a time when Nigeria can least afford it,” he cautioned.
He also stressed that Nigeria’s military was already overstretched, battling insurgents, bandits, and kidnappers across various regions. Engaging troops in Rivers, he argued, would divert resources from more pressing security threats.
“Our armed forces are stretched thin, battling terrorists and criminal networks daily. They do not need yet another crisis to divert resources and attention,” he said.
Ojudu concluded by urging Tinubu to reconsider the emergency rule, stating that it was not a solution but an admission of failure. “A state of emergency is not a strategy—it is an admission of failure. There are far more effective, far less destructive ways to handle this situation,” he said.
