The Senate Thursday approved the controversial state of emergency imposed on Rivers State by President Bola Tinubu after a secret session.
The resolution was taken at Thursday’s secret session of the senators after Tinubu’s Tuesday declaration and sack of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and other elected officials.
The session was announced after Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, read a letter from Tinubu at plenary on Thursday.
Senate leader, Opeyemi Bamidele then moved a motion for a closed session under Order 135 of the Senate rules.
The motion was quickly seconded by the Senate Minority Leader, Abba Moro.
During the session, Akpabio called for a voice vote, and the lawmakers approved the request.
Announcing the outcome, Akpabio said the Senate had exercised its powers under Section 305(2) of the Constitution to endorse the president’s proclamation.
CHECKPOINTCHARLEY reported that earlier the House of Representatives had approved Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers.
In a voice vote, the lawmakers backed the proclamation.
Two hundred and forty House of Representative members attended the preliminary which was presided over by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas.
The Reps had however made some amendments, including that a committee of eminent Nigerians will be set up to mediate on the matter.
They also noted that the National Assembly is empowered to make law for a state where its house of assembly is unable to perform its functions as against the Federal Government’s plan for the Federal Executive Council to take up that duty.
A preponderance of legal luminaries, the Nigeria Bar Association, governors, and prominent Nigerians like Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi had faulted the proclamation, saying there was no where in the constitution where the president is empowered to sack elected representatives and take over a federating unit.
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