by Rachel Ogbu

The Borno Secretary of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Faye Pama Musa was killed at his Maiduguri home less than an hour after President Goodluck Jonathan declared a State of Emergency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States yesterday.

Both incidences have not been connected yet but a few have begun to question President Jonathan’s move especially after the plan to declare a State of Emergency was met by stiff opposition from many groups and top political figures. It was reported that President Jonathan, on Tuesday, ignored calls from political parties, public office holders, clerics, and others to declare a state of emergency.

In his address, President Jonathan said his action had become necessary for the government to take extraordinary measures to restore normalcy.

“After wide consultations, and in exercise of the powers conferred on me by the provisions of Section 305, sub-section 1 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended, I hereby declare a State of emergency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states,” he said.

[READ: We need a state of emergency]

Indications of a state of emergency pronouncement emerged on Friday May 10 after President Jonathan held an emergency meeting in the wake of the attack that left 47 policemen and 10 State Security Service operatives killed by the Ombatse militia in Alakyo forest in Nasarawa State.

But it was referred to as an extreme measure, and President Jonathan was warned repeatedly that an emergency rule was not the way to go. But as it began t appear to be the decision he would make, opposition began to mount.

[READ: Insecurity: President Jonathan may declare state of emergency in 5 Northern states ]

1.

On Monday, when it was still rumoured that a state of emergency might be declared in five Northern states, the Nigerian Governors Forum has officially rejected the declaration. The chairman of the forum, Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi said in a statement that the requests for a SOE were being made “by people who do not wish our country well and who are bent on plunging the country into a deeper crisis.”

Excerpts of the statement read:

“We also call on the Federal Government to ignore the ongoing agitation for a state of emergency in some parts of the country. We have no other country to call home and it is important that we understand the danger and futility of destroying our land in the pursuit of a selfish agenda.”

2.

The Daily Trust Newspaper had also written an editorial earlier saying “imposing a state of emergency that would entail the abrigdement of democratic order in those states on purely political grounds would be a catastrophic escalation of the current instability in the polilty, and may in the end not address the underlying causes of the security issues.”

3.

Last weekend, the Peoples Democratic Party denied the Federal Government’s plan to impose emergency rule in some troubles states in the north accusing the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) of making “fallacious and wicked media publication” on the matter, allegedly to aggravate the security situation in the country. To the emergency rule, the ACN had asked President Jonathan to step down from office if he had no solution to the security challenges confronting Nigeria.

4.

The Congress for Progressive Change, which is the ruling party in Nassarawa State, warned the Federal Government against declaring a state of emergency in the state.

The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Rotimi Fashakin, said though the party condemned the killings of policemen in the state by a militia group, it would be wrong to use that as a pretext to declare a state of emergency.

5.

According to reports, political leaders across northern Nigeria vowed to oppose moves by President Goodluck Jonathan to impose a state of emergency in Borno and Yobe States in response to the Boko Haram crisis.

The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), insisted that President Jonathan should continue on the track to grant total amnesty to members of the Boko Haram, just the way it was granted to Niger Delta militants.

According to the ACF, Boko Haram’s recent aggressive attacks should not permit the declaration of a state of emergency. Anthony Sani, ACF’s publicity secretary, said the forum had resolved that the recurring violence in region could only be halted by dialogue, thus its opposition to emergency rule.

“I believe the hike in attacks recently, if by the sect, is their own way of playing hard to get, so that they can secure the best of terms in the ensuing dialogue. If military might were successful in campaigns against terrorism, nobody would talk about dialogue. I want to appeal to Nigerians of all religions, political colorations and of all regions to please give the government and the amnesty a chance,” he said.

6.

Also, the Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF) described an emergency rule plan as wrong. NEF spokesman Paul Unongo, said the federal government could not justify a state of emergency in the north since such a measure wasn’t introduced in the south-south states at the peak of the violence unleashed on the region by Niger Delta militants.

7.

The national coordinator of the Coalition of Northern Politicians, Academics, Professionals and Businessmen, Junaid Mohammed also cautioned the Presidency not to declare a state of emergency in any part of the north. “Some people in the PDP that are talking about state of emergency are just playing politics because most of the states affected are not PDP states. Borno, Yobe and Nasarawa are not PDP states, only Taraba is. Any declaration now will be nothing but a political manoeuvre to impose the unpopular PDP mandate on these states, which did not vote for PDP in the last election,” he said.

Yesterday, the president made it clear how highly he holds their opinions.