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Calls have continued to grow for President Bola Tinubu to immediately declare a state of emergency in Zamfara State over alleged worsening insecurity and a breakdown of democratic order in the state.
Zamfara, one of Nigeria’s most troubled states, continues to face persistent attacks from armed groups, with thousands displaced and dozens killed in the past year alone.
However, recent reports accused Governor Dauda Lawal Dare's administration of stifling dissenting voices, referring to the 10 lawmakers of the State Assembly who were suspended for raising concerns about the security situation in their constituencies.
In a statement on Friday, April 4, 2025, a pro-democracy group, United Democratic Coalition (UDC), urged Tinubu to apply the Rivers measure in Zamfara to nip in the bud the alleged threat to democratic rule in the North-West State.
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The statement, signed by Abdulrahman Danladi, the coalition president, described Zamfara as “a state under siege,” accusing the state government of abandoning its constitutional duty to protect lives and uphold democratic principles.
“The situation in Zamfara has gone from troubling to terrifying. Armed groups operate freely, citizens are at the mercy of bandits, and yet those elected to speak up are being silenced,” Danladi stated.
The coalition president was referring to the recent suspension of 10 lawmakers in the Zamfara State House of Assembly, whom he claimed were punished for raising concerns about insecurity and illegal mining in their constituencies.
“What we are witnessing is not just lawlessness — it is executive tyranny. These lawmakers were elected by the people and have a duty to speak out. Instead of listening to them, the state assembly, clearly acting on orders, has shut them down,” Danladi said.
Like Rivers, like Zamfara?
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The group argued that the current political tension in Zamfara is identical to the recent developments in Rivers State, where Governor Siminalayi Fubara governed with just four lawmakers after the House of Assembly split.
Danladi noted that the scenario prompted the President's intervention. Due to the political impasse, the president later suspended Governor Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Nma Odu, and members of the state Assembly.
“If Rivers with four lawmakers sparked talks of emergency rule, how is Zamfara with 10 suspended lawmakers and spiralling violence not a national concern?” he asked.
“The same standard must apply. Democracy is being murdered in Zamfara in broad daylight. If the federal government could consider intervening in Rivers, it must not turn a blind eye to the breakdown in Zamfara.
“We are calling for a six-month state of emergency in Zamfara to allow security forces take control, restore peace, and return the state to constitutional order.”
UDC also demanded the immediate reinstatement of the suspended lawmakers and an investigation into what it called “executive interference” in the legislature.
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“This is not the time for political correctness. It is the time for leadership. The people of Zamfara are under siege — both by bandits and by those who should be protecting them,” the statement added.