The United Democratic Coalition (UDC) has urged President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in Zamfara due to escalating insecurity and a collapse of democratic order.
In a statement issued on the 4th of April, 2025, signed by Abdulrahman Danladi, the coalition president, Zamfara was described as “a state under siege,” blaming the state government for failing to fulfill its constitutional obligation to protect citizens and maintain democracy.
“The situation in Zamfara has deteriorated from concerning to catastrophic,” Danladi stated. “Armed groups roam unchecked, citizens are at the mercy of bandits, and elected representatives are being silenced.”
He referenced the recent suspension of 10 lawmakers in the Zamfara State House of Assembly, calling it an unjust punishment for those who dared to speak out against insecurity and illegal mining in their regions.
“What is happening is not just disorder it is executive tyranny. These lawmakers were chosen by the people to represent them. Instead of being listened to, they have been shut down by the state assembly under apparent orders,” Danladi added.
Danladi drew parallels to Rivers State, where a split in the state assembly left Governor Siminalayi Fubara ruling with only four lawmakers, sparking calls for federal intervention.
“If the situation in Rivers, with just four lawmakers, triggered talks of emergency rule, why is Zamfara, with 10 suspended lawmakers and growing violence, not raising alarms nationwide?” Danladi questioned.
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He stressed that democracy is under assault in Zamfara and should not be ignored. “If the federal government considered stepping in for Rivers, it cannot ignore the crisis in Zamfara.”
The UDC called for a six-month state of emergency in the state to allow security forces to take control, restore order, and bring the state back under constitutional rule.
Additionally, the coalition demanded the immediate reinstatement of the suspended lawmakers and an investigation into the “executive interference” in the legislature.
“This is no time for diplomacy it is time for decisive leadership,” the statement concluded. “The people of Zamfara are under attack, not only from bandits but from those entrusted to protect them.”
Zamfara remains one of Nigeria’s most volatile states, plagued by relentless attacks from armed groups, displacing thousands and claiming dozens of lives in the past year alone.