The National Assembly has approved President Bola Tinubu’s request for a state of emergency in Rivers State, but not without making key amendments to his proposal.
President Tinubu, in a national broadcast on Tuesday, announced the suspension of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and all members of the State House of Assembly. He also appointed retired Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, as the sole administrator of the state.
However, during a one-hour session on Thursday, the House of Representatives introduced modifications before granting approval.
Lawmakers from different parties largely agreed on the need for intervention in Rivers State. Even those who initially raised constitutional concerns eventually backed the emergency rule after proposed amendments were accepted.
The session began with Speaker Abbas Tajudeen reading President Tinubu’s letter. The House then moved into a 10-minute closed-door session before returning to plenary for debate.
One of the first objections came from Obi Agwuncha, a lawmaker representing Ikwuano/Umuahia North/Umuahia South Federal Constituency in Abia State. He called for a headcount of lawmakers present before proceeding, but his request was ignored.
During the debate, Deputy House Spokesman Philip Agbese proposed setting up a national peace committee to mediate between the conflicting political factions in Rivers State.
“A National Peace Committee should be in place to ensure that the problems are resolved within six months,” Agbese suggested. The House agreed to this amendment.
Labour Party lawmaker Etanabene Benedict from Delta State raised concerns about the legality of the emergency rule. He pointed out that Section 305 of the Constitution, which allows for a state of emergency, cannot be applied in isolation without considering Section 11(4).
“However, Mr. Speaker, I have a few amendments. Section 305 can’t be read in isolation without Section 11, which states that the National Assembly shall make laws on behalf of the states in case of a state of emergency where the State House of Assembly is also suspended,” Benedict argued.
He also criticized Tinubu’s proposal that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) should oversee the state’s laws during the emergency. Instead, he insisted that the National Assembly, not the FEC, should assume legislative powers in Rivers State during the emergency period.
Following his argument, the House amended the motion to ensure the National Assembly takes legislative control, not the Federal Executive Council.
Another key amendment came from Minority Whip Ali Isah, who opposed the fixed six-month duration of the emergency rule. He argued that the situation in Rivers State could be resolved much earlier.
“I believe the matter can be resolved in the shortest period of time. Maybe next week. The President has shown commitment, so the President should be given the opportunity to retain the position of declaration for emergency with review at any given time. They should allow the President to terminate or review the state of emergency. The President doesn’t need to wait until six months,” Isah said.
The House adopted this amendment, allowing for a periodic review of the emergency rule instead of a rigid six-month timeline.
After the amendments were made, the motion was put to a voice vote, with a resounding “Aye” in favour of approval. Speaker Abbas then announced that 243 lawmakers were present to approve the president’s request.
The Senate also held a closed-door session before approving the emergency rule with similar amendments.