Former presidential aide and veteran journalist, Laolu Akande, has strongly criticized President Bola Tinubu’s decision to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State, describing it as a fundamental violation of federalism.
Speaking on Sunrise Daily, a Channels TV program on Thursday, Akande expressed his concerns over what he called an unconstitutional overreach by the presidency.
Akande revealed that discussions about the possible state of emergency had been ongoing within Tinubu’s inner circle, with a sharp divide over whether the president should proceed with such an action.
“Because of where I stand, I knew that the consideration of this matter has been going on even in the President’s inner circle,” Akande said. “There’s been a very tough debate on whether the president should declare a state of emergency. So, I knew that something was in the offering.”
He further noted that the President has made previous attempts to intervene in the crisis. He said “The President and his people are saying he can’t just sit down and allow matters to fester in Rivers State that he’s tried to intervene peacefully and he felt compelled.”
However, he pointed out that while Tinubu and his advisers justified the move as a last resort to resolve political instability in Rivers State, the removal of elected officials violates core democratic principles.
“Many people disagree with the Declaration. Even more people disagree with the President suspending elected officials. I also disagree with a democratic system that enables the president to sack a governor or a state assembly. You cannot have a president in a federal system sacking a governor or any elected official. It’s a misnomer.”
Akande emphasized that the National Assembly must step up and ensure that it does not legitimize an undemocratic action. He warned that approving Tinubu’s decision would set a dangerous precedent, allowing future presidents to arbitrarily remove governors and state officials under the guise of emergency rule.
“The important thing now is for all Nigerians of goodwill to ensure that the National Assembly stands up to its responsibility,” he urged.
He further argued that a true federal system does not grant the president the power to dissolve elected state governments, highlighting that past state of emergency declarations never led to the removal of governors.
The former presidential aide warned that this overreach by the executive could push Nigeria toward a dangerous concentration of power at the federal level, eroding state autonomy and undermining democratic governance.
Akande called on Nigerians, civil society organizations, and lawmakers to resist the move, stressing that constitutional order must be preserved.
