The Niger State government has said that no state government in the country has the constitutional power to declare a state of emergency in any part of the country, hence Governor Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu cannot extend the state of emergency to other parts of the state.
The state Commissioner for Information, Alhaji Danladi Abdulhameed said yesterday that the statement credited to? Governor Babangida Aliyu on the situation in Madalla, particularly as it affects the declaration of state of emergency? in Suleja local government area was to draw the attention of the political and traditional leaders in the state to the need for them to be more security conscious.
According to him, the power to declare a state of emergency as enshrined in Section 305 sub- section 1 of the 1999 constitution is vested on the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“The governor never said he had declared a state of emergency in all parts of the state,” he said while maintaining that the governor spoke out of his concern for the safety and welfare of the people of the state.
‘‘The governor is misunderstood, the governor is educated, enlightened and understands the constitution enough to know that he does not have the powers to declare a state of emergency anywhere in the state.
“The governor was concerned, the governor was so touched, he believes that what happened in Madalla, by extension, has happened to other parts of the state and other parts of the state should take the issue as a state issue,” he declared.