The lawmaker representing Borno South Senatorial District, Senator Ali Ndume, has criticized President Bola Tinubu’s decision to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State, suggesting that the President should have instead worked directly to resolve the issues in the state.

In an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Daily, Ndume emphasized that Tinubu could have pursued alternative methods, such as bringing the conflicting parties together, rather than resorting to a state of emergency. He questioned why the President did not take proactive measures to facilitate dialogue among the parties involved.

“I feel that the President would have worked seriously on bringing them (and) solving the problem than (declaring a state of emergency). Call them, seat them down and say ‘go and sort your problem,'” Ndume remarked.

He further expressed his concerns by questioning the rationale behind the decision, asking, “How can you ignore the President? When he removed them now, did they ignore the removal?”

While criticizing the situation in Rivers, Ndume also called for the President to shift focus to more pressing national issues, such as security and the economy. According to him, these sectors require urgent attention, and the President should prioritize them.

“Let the President forget about everything and concentrate on three things – security, welfare of citizens, and economy. His attention should go there as number 1, then he should create a state of emergency in those areas,” Ndume said.

Ndume’s comments reflect his concerns about the handling of the political situation in Rivers and his broader calls for a national focus on securing the country and improving the economy.