President Goodluck Jonathan may find it difficult extending the emergency rule in Yobe, Borno and Adamawa states as senators from the affected regions on Tuesday said the measure has been a failure.
President Jonathan on Monday sought an extension of emergency rule in the three states for another six months.
The extension according to ta letter written by the president to the senate is “to stem the tide of terrorism and insurgency in the affected states.”
Most senators from the region, however oppose the renewal of the extension because it will extend beyond February elections.
Ahmed Lawan, from Yobe, said the request was “a waste of time because we had state of emergency for 18 months and the result, we all know, is failure, failure and failure”.
Borno senator Ali Ndume said emergency rule, an increased defence budget and even an emergency $1 billion loan to the armed forces had failed to make an impact.
“Our fear is if we extend the state of emergency, are we going to get into a worse situation than we are now and if we extend the state of emergency, what difference will it make?” he said.
He added: “We gave everything and there is no result.”
Bindowo Jibrilla, from Adamawa state, said he had seen his entire constituency taken over by the Islamists and would block the request.
Ndume, Jibrilla and Lawan are all members of Nigeria’s main opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), which has criticised Jonathan’s record on tackling the five-year insurgency.
The APC has voiced doubts about the integrity of next February’s general election, as tens of thousands of people risked being unable to vote because of the violence.
Ndume said holding an election was secondary to securing peace and that he was unable to go back to his constituency because of the insecurity.
“I’m one of those that are highly targeted and the way it’s going now, maybe I will not be alive even for the election,” Ndume said.
Before the Senate shifted the discussion on the extension of the emergency rule, a near rowdy scene was evident after
the introduction of the motion by the Senate Leader, Sen. Victor Ndoma-Egbe.
Many senators were obviously against another extension of the emergency in the region and not even the swift intervention of the Senate President, David Mark, to ensure consideration of the letter calmed nerves.
Senators debated the request behind closed doors and are due to continue on Wednesday, when a decision would be announced, Senate leader David Mark and spokesman Bello Tukur told reporters.