Plateau, EKiti, Rivers: Six states where emergency rule was declared since 1999

With the recent declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers state by President Bola Tinubu, it is now six states that have experienced such declaration since1999 that the country returned to democracy.

In a nationwide broadcast on Tuesday, Tinubu announced the suspension of Sim Fubara, the governor of Rivers, his deputy, and all elected members of the state house of assembly for an initial period of six months.

Tinubu cited the lengthy political unrest that has shaken the oil-rich state from September 2023 as his reason for imposing emergency rule in Rivers.

The president appointed Ibokette Ibas, retired vice-admiral, as the sole administrator to manage the state under the emergency rule.

Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution gives the president the authority to declare a state of emergency under certain circumstances.

The proclamation must be sent to the national assembly for approval after being published in the official gazette.

To provide a system of checks and balances and avoid abuse of presidential powers, the proclamation must be approved by a two-thirds majority of the national assembly.

Since the return of democracy in 1999, Tinubu is the third president to make such a declaration.

Plateau state (2004)

Following a religious crisis in Plateau, north-central Nigeria, in May 2004, former President Olusegun Obasanjo declared a state of emergency.

Governor Joshua Dariye was suspended by Obasanjo, who blamed him for doing little to break the cycle of violence between the Christian and Muslim populations in the state.

Chris Ali, a former army general, was named the sole administrator for the next six months by the president, who also disbanded the state house of assembly.

Ali is originally a native of Plateau state. That incident made Obasanjo to be the first president to declare a state of emergency in any of Nigeria’s 36 states since 1999 till now.

Ekiti state (2006)

Obasanjo also declared a state of emergency in Ekiti state in 2006. The former president imposed the emergency rule after tension escalated following the impeachment of Ayodele Fayose and his deputy, Abiodun Olujimi, by the state house of assembly.

Obasanjo stated that the scenario “clearly presents danger of possible breakdown of public order and public safety” as the reason he took the action. He said that his goal was to stop violence from breaking out in other regions of the nation.

Obasanjo appointed Tunji Olurin, a retired army general, as the sole administrator of Ekiti.

Olurin who was appointed had once served as head of the ECOMOG peacekeeping force in Liberia.

Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa states (2013)

Governors and state assemblies were not suspended when former President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa states on May 14, 2013.

The proclamation is in response to the growing Boko Haram insurgency. Rather than suspend the democratically elected officials of the state, the federal government sent in additional troops and enforced curfews to quell insurgent activity.

The governors of the states affected are Kashim Shettima (Borno), Ibrahim Gaidam (Yobe) and Murtala Nyako (Adamawa).