Tinubu’s Emergency Rule In Rivers State Sparks Controversy Among Lawmakers

Senator Raises Concerns Over Tinubu's Handling of Rivers State Emergency

Listen, here’s the deal: A senior senator from the All Progressives Congress (APC) is raising some serious eyebrows about President Bola Tinubu’s decision to impose a state of emergency in Rivers State without adequately consulting the National Assembly. This move has left lawmakers in a bit of a tight spot, and let me tell you, it’s not sitting well with everyone.

On Tuesday, Tinubu made headlines by declaring an emergency rule in the South-South state, citing a long-standing political crisis that, in his words, had spiraled out of control. Now, here’s where it gets interesting: the president didn’t just stop there. He went on to suspend Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and every single member of the Rivers State House of Assembly for a period of six months. To fill the void, he appointed retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas as the administrator of the state.

Naija News is reporting that this move has sparked quite the controversy. You see, according to the Constitution, for an emergency rule to hold water, it needs the blessing of the National Assembly. If the Assembly is in session, they’ve got a mere two days to approve it. If they’re not in session, they get a little more time—up to ten days. But here’s the kicker: the National Assembly had adjourned until Wednesday when Tinubu made his announcement, meaning they were technically still in session when the declaration hit the airwaves.

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“We had adjourned till Wednesday when the president made the announcement, so automatically we are in session and that means we have to vote within two days, latest Thursday,” the senator explained, speaking on condition of anonymity to TheCable. “If he had coordinated better with us, we could have adjourned indefinitely before the proclamation. That way, we’d have had ten days to get our act together and gather the numbers.”

House of Representatives Spokesperson Weighs In

Following the president’s announcement, Akin Rotimi, the spokesperson for the House of Representatives, stepped up to clarify the situation. He claimed that Tinubu had indeed consulted with the National Assembly before making his declaration. Rotimi confirmed that the president’s letter, seeking approval for the state of emergency under Section 305 of the Constitution, had been sent to the House and was set to be read during plenary on Wednesday for further legislative action.

However, things took a turn when the letter wasn’t actually read on the floor of the Green Chamber on Wednesday. This created a bit of confusion about just how much coordination there really was between the president and the lawmakers. Was Rotimi’s statement accurate, or was there a miscommunication? The answer remains unclear.

Senate Delays Debate on Emergency Rule

Meanwhile, over in the Senate, the motion to consider the state of emergency in Rivers State was postponed during Wednesday’s plenary session. The motion, which was supposed to be the first item on the agenda, didn’t even get a chance to be debated before it was put on hold. This delay has only added to the growing list of questions surrounding the entire situation.

As the political drama unfolds, one thing is certain: the relationship between the executive and legislative branches is being put to the test. Will they find common ground, or will this become another chapter in Nigeria’s political saga? Only time will tell.