Osamagbe Imadiyi
The National Assembly’s two houses yesterday voted in favor of President Bola Tinubu’s proclamation of a state of emergency in Rivers State, which led to the appointment of a sole administrator and the six-month suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and other elected officials. This violates Section 305(4) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which stipulates that a resolution passed by the National Assembly with the support of two-thirds of its members must support the president’s request. Senate President Godswill Akpabio stated that the lawmakers’ approval was carried out unanimously without a single nod, while Mr. Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s (LP) 2023 presidential candidate, criticized the National Assembly for the approval, claiming that a two-thirds majority could not be decided by voice vote.
The National Assembly Joint Ad-hoc Committee must approve and oversee all regulations in Rivers State, the Senate stated when it approved the emergency rule. To guarantee long-term peace and stability in Rivers, it also urged the federal government to establish a reconciliation mechanism, including the creation of a peace and reconciliation committee made up of respected Nigerians, the executive branch, the National Assembly, and other pertinent parties. The proclamation issued by President Tinubu was modified by the House of Representatives, which insisted that Vice Admiral Ibok Ibas, the sole administrator of Rivers State, report to the National Assembly rather than the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
Three amendments were proposed in front of the 243 members of the House, and they were all approved by voice vote. Another change was the creation of a national committee to mitigate and restore peace in Rivers State, which would be made up of representatives from the National Assembly, the Presidency, and other distinguished Nigerians.
Senators were reportedly deeply split on the matter during the private meeting. The senators in attendance used voice votes instead of actual voting because, according to sources, a quorum was not formed. Infuriated, Senators Aminu Tambuwal of the PDP, Sokoto South; Enyinnaya Abaribe of the APGA, Abia South; and Seriake Dickson of the PDP, Bayelsa West, hurried out of the chamber. The presiding officers typically enter the hallowed chamber with the principal officers, so they do not sign the attendance register, but it was reported that 64 senators did.
