A legal advocacy group known as Bola Ahmed Tinubu, BAT Lawyers has defended President Bola Tinubu’s recent declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State.
They describe this decision as a “constitutional, courageous, and genius leadership choice.”
The National Convener of the group, Mrs. Abibat Bankole-Apena, expressed her support for the state of emergency declaration, stating that the President acted within the law.
She referenced Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which grants the President the authority to declare a state of emergency in cases of “actual breakdown of public order and public safety” or “clear and present danger” threatening national security.
President Tinubu declared a state of emergency on March 18, 2025, suspending Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and all members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for six months.
He appointed Retired Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas to oversee the state’s affairs. This declaration followed a prolonged political crisis in Rivers State, which had escalated into violent incidents, including pipeline explosions in the Gokana and Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Local Government Areas, resulting in economic losses exceeding $35 million daily.
BAT Lawyers argued that President Tinubu had exhausted all mediation efforts to resolve the crisis before resorting to emergency measures. They emphasised, “No responsible President of a sovereign nation will sit idle while government properties are deliberately destroyed, causing economic sabotage to a country struggling with inflation, without taking firm steps to prevent further disasters.”
The group also referenced past instances where former presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan declared similar states of emergency in Plateau (2004), Ekiti (2006), and in Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa States (2013). They argued that these precedents affirm the constitutionality of Tinubu’s actions.
Mr. Femi Ishola, the National Secretary of the group, dismissed criticisms from political analysts and social media commentators questioning the legality of the President’s decision.
He maintained that “the declaration was a courageous, impartial, and ingenious move by President Tinubu to protect national and state assets, to compel all warring parties to cease hostilities, restore law and order, and ensure a peaceful Rivers State for the benefit of the Rivers people and Nigerians at large.”
He added, “In light of the failed mediation efforts employed by the President to resolve the prolonged political crisis in Rivers State, the blatant disregard for the Supreme Court judgement by Governor Fubara, the historical precedent for declaring a state of emergency, and the threats posed by Niger Delta militant groups in Rivers State, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has acted within the bounds of the law.”
