Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), yesterday said the Supreme Court’s decision affirming the President’s constitutional power to declare a state of emergency in any part of the country was a win for Nigerians.
He described the judgment as a major boost for democracy.
But the decision drew sharp criticism from the African Democratic Congress (ADC), which warned that it could endanger Nigeria’s federal system and open the door to what it termed “constitutional tyranny.”
In a statement by his spokesman, Kamarudeen Ogundele, Fagbemi said the apex court’s verdict, delivered on Monday, had strengthened Nigeria’s constitutional jurisprudence and cleared lingering doubts over the legality of the emergency rule declared in Rivers State in March by President Bola Tinubu.
The Supreme Court judgment arose from a suit filed by Adamawa State and 10 other Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led states, challenging the declaration of emergency rule in Rivers State and the suspension of elected officials.
“I welcome the judgment of the Supreme Court affirming the power granted the President by the Constitution to declare a state of emergency in any state in Nigeria whenever the situation arises,” Fagbemi said.
According to him, the ruling is “a win for all Nigerians” and a further consolidation of the nation’s fledgling democracy.
“The landmark judgment has further strengthened our jurisprudence and added another vital ingredient to consolidate our democracy,” he stated.
Fagbemi congratulated all parties involved in the suit, adding that the judgment had erased doubts surrounding the President’s action and its endorsement by the National Assembly.
“Nigeria is for all of us, and I assure Nigerians of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration’s commitment to upholding the tenets of democracy and the rule of law at all times,” the AGF said.
