Senator Babafemi Ojudu, a prominent political figure and former federal lawmaker, has raised serious concerns over reports that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared a state of emergency in Rivers State. In a strongly worded press statement released earlier today, Senator Ojudu questioned the rationale behind the decision, warning that it could have dire economic and security implications for Nigeria.
The senator expressed shock at the development, stating that he had been inundated with calls and messages about the declaration after breaking his fast. “If this is true, then I must ask: Who advised the President to take this course of action?” Ojudu queried. He suggested that the decision may have been influenced by “fifth columnists” who do not have the best interests of Nigeria at heart, adding that the Tinubu he once knew would not have made such a “reckless and unnecessary decision.”
Senator Ojudu emphasized that the crisis in Rivers State is a political dispute that requires dialogue, not drastic measures. He urged President Tinubu to engage the key players—Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike—in a peaceful resolution. “Call the two gladiators, sit them down, and read them the riot act,” he advised. “One of them, after all, is your own appointee. What will it benefit you, Mr. President, to keep Wike and lose the Nigerian economy?”
The senator highlighted the potential economic fallout of the decision, drawing parallels to the Niger Delta crisis during President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, which twice plunged Nigeria into recession. He recalled how oil production had plummeted to below 400,000 barrels per day from 2.5 million barrels per day due to political mismanagement and conflict in the region. “It took years of painstaking effort and immense risks to stabilize the region,” Ojudu noted, warning that the state of emergency could undo this progress.
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He cautioned that escalating tensions in Rivers State could lead to renewed pipeline sabotage, illegal oil bunkering, and militant activities, further crippling Nigeria’s oil-dependent economy. “The global oil market is unforgiving. Investors do not wait for internal political conflicts to be resolved. They simply take their capital elsewhere,” he said.
Senator Ojudu also raised alarm over the security implications of the decision, noting that Nigeria’s armed forces are already overstretched battling insurgency, banditry, and kidnapping in the North East, North West, and North Central regions. “These are the real emergencies. These are the crises that demand decisive leadership,” he stated. He warned that diverting resources and attention to Rivers State could weaken the military’s efforts to combat these pressing threats.
“Nigeria cannot afford to be fighting on multiple fronts—politically, economically, and militarily,” Ojudu stressed. “Mr. President, do not open a new war front in Rivers State while real wars are still raging elsewhere.”
Senator Ojudu concluded his statement by urging President Tinubu to reconsider the reported declaration, describing it as an “admission of failure” rather than a viable strategy. “This portends disaster—for your administration, for the economy, and for the nation,” he said. “There are far more effective, far less destructive ways to handle this situation.”
