Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has raised strong objections to President Bola Tinubu’s recent declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, describing the move as an overreach that undermines Nigeria’s federal system.
In an interview on Channels Television on Sunday, Soyinka stressed the urgency for immediate legal and political action from the National Assembly, the Senate, and politicians directly impacted—particularly those in the real estate sector, which appears to be at the heart of the dispute.
“This situation is just a few hours old, but already, I am keenly watching what steps will be taken by the House of Assembly, the Senate, and those directly impacted,” Soyinka stated. “Above the President, there is the law, and I expect those affected to take the primary legal step by now.”
Soyinka expressed surprise at how quickly the emergency law was applauded and implemented. “Let me confess, I was surprised at the ease with which this emergency law was accepted and implemented,” he said, cautioning that presidential powers, even in a democracy, must be exercised within clear limits.
While acknowledging that President Tinubu may have acted within the constitutional framework, Soyinka criticized the sweeping suspension of democratic processes as excessive. “The scuttling of democratic processes in this manner could have been managed more economically,” he added.
He also called on governors and lawmakers to challenge the emergency declaration in court. “We need to test this all the way up the judicial ladder. Enough of running around in circles from regime to regime.
By now, we should be able to clearly establish whether such an action is legal or not.”
Beyond legal concerns, Soyinka expressed fears about the political consequences. “In my view, this takes us on a slippery slope. It is not something I want to see, especially as we are still striving to consolidate a true federal structure.”
Soyinka warned that Nigeria has witnessed this pattern before, where governance drifts into a “quasi-dictatorial” approach, often dictated by the inclinations of those in power.
He called for a full-scale investigation into the real estate crisis that may have influenced the President’s decision. “I intend to find out exactly what is happening within the real estate sector that led to what I consider an unfortunate step in our federalist journey,” he said.
