The National Assembly unanimously approved President Bola Tinubu’s State of Emergency Proclamation on Tuesday for Rivers State.
The decision was taken at the Senate after about one and a half hours of closed session through voice votes put to senators by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, based on resolutions adopted by federal lawmakers.
Similarly, the House of Representatives voted to support the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State.
Speaking during yesterday’s plenary, Akpabio said, “The Senate invokes the powers conveyed to it by Section 305 of Section 2 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and approves the proclamation of the state of emergency declared by Mr President in Rivers State of Nigeria.
“The Senate further directs that the declaration of the state of emergency stated in the proclamation documents demands that Mr President review and even terminate the state of emergency at any given time, but not later than six months.
“The Senate further resolved that Section 11, Subsection 4 be invoked, providing the National Assembly the authority to set up a joint ad hoc committee of both chambers to oversee the administration of Rivers State henceforth.
“The Senate further resolved that a Committee of eminent Nigerians be set up to reconcile the warring groups within the government of River State within the period of the State of Emergency in River State.
“The Senate further resolved that a Committee of eminent Nigerians to reconcile the warring factions in Rivers State should be set up and carry out their action during the emergency.
For final ratification, I put it to the Senate that those in favour of the state of emergency 2025 proclamation in Rivers State, which all the senators in the chamber affirmatively responded to.
Akpabio said, “This approval is done unanimously without a single nay. Therefore, under section 60 of the constitution, section 305 (2), and under our rules, Rule 1 (b) of the standing orders of the Senate, and also under Rules 133, 134, 135, and 136 of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the State of Emergency Proclamation in Rivers State was approved, and other vital resolutions were taken.”
Thereafter, the Senate adjourned for one hour, reconvened later to pass votes and proceedings of the entire session and finally adjourned to Tuesday, March 25, 2025.
Before the Senate went into a closed-door session, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and Senator Seriake Dickson (PDP Bayelsa West) had a mild altercation.
The altercation began when Senator Dickson raised a point of Order after Akpabio read a written gazette on the Proclamation of State of Emergency to Senators and called on the Senate Leader to guide the Senate for its expeditious consideration.
As Senator Dickson raised the point of Order, Akpabio told him to sit down. He had already known where he stood on the State of Emergency, having watched him on Television on Wednesday when he said his views would not align with those of the Senate.
“Senator Dickson, please hold on with your point of order. I heard all that you said on the television yesterday that the Senate will not go with you on the issue at hand, and we will not go with you.
“You are a former governor like myself and now a distinguished Federal Republic of Nigeria Senator. Please, let’s do things in the interest of Nigerians,” he said.
However, when finally allowed to raise the point of order, Seriake Dickson drew the Senate’s attention to Orders 133 of the Senate Standing Rules, which required matters of state of emergency to be deliberated upon in closed-door session
Akpabio, upon hearing that, upheld his point of order, which was later held by the Senate, where all its resolutions were taken on the state of emergency.
In the House of Representatives, the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, presided over the plenary, which had 240 lawmakers in attendance.
However, the House has made some amendments to the proclamation.
These include the setting up of a committee of eminent Nigerians to mediate on the matter during the period of emergency,
It also drew attention to the Constitutional provision that allows the National Assembly to make laws for a state if the state assembly is unable to perform its functions at any time, disagreeing with Tinubu’s position that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) would usurp this function.
The House of Representatives also said the state of emergency could be reviewed and terminated within the initial six months, as proclaimed, based on progress made about peace.
He cited, “latest security reports made available to me show that between yesterday and today, there have been disturbing incidents of vandalization of pipelines by some militant without the governor taking any action to curtail them.”
