ABUJA – The Nigerian Senate on Thursday, approved President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of emergency rule in the oil-rich southern state of Rivers, marking a new chapter in the escalating political crisis in the state.
The approval came after a closed-door session held by lawmakers on Thursday, where senators deliberated on the controversial suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the federal takeover of the state’s administration.
This legislative approval comes a day after the swearing-in of Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas as the sole administrator of Rivers State.
Ibas who arrived at the Rivers State Government House on Thursday morning, immediately presided over a closed-door meeting with senior security officers, a federal government delegation, and top state government officials.
Before reaching their decision, the lawmakers held a highly secretive session to consider the implications of Tinubu’s move.
The closed session was initiated after Senate President Godswill Akpabio read a letter from the president seeking legislative approval for the emergency rule.
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele moved the motion for the closed session under Order 135 of the Senate rules, stating, “In the first instance, I came under Order 1(b) of our rules, which gives us power to regulate our procedure. The first task was for me to inform our colleagues that we are going to adjust the items on the order paper. The next step, of course, is to move a motion for us to enter a closed session pursuant to Order 135 of our rules.”
The motion was quickly seconded by Senate Minority Leader Abba Moro, paving the way for behind-the-scenes deliberations.
Furthermore, the Senate announced the formation of a committee comprising eminent citizens tasked with mediating between the warring political factions in Rivers State. The goal is to facilitate dialogue and find a lasting resolution to the crisis.
The House of Representatives had also supported Tinubu’s declaration of emergency rule, voting overwhelmingly in favour of the controversial declaration, which endorsed the emergency declaration and the six-month suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
With both legislative chambers now in agreement, Tinubu’s takeover of Rivers State is effectively sealed.
Tinubu, in a television broadcast on Tuesdsy, said he had received security reports of “disturbing incidents of vandalization of pipelines by some militants without the governor taking any action to curtail them.”
“With all these and many more, no good and responsible president will standby and allow the grave situation to continue without taking remedial steps prescribed by the constitution to address the situation in the state,” added Tinubu.
Police said earlier they were investigating the cause of a blast in Rivers state that resulted in a fire on Nigeria’s Trans Niger Pipeline, a major oil artery transporting crude from onshore oilfields to the Bonny export terminal.
Rivers, in the Niger Delta, is a major source of crude oil and militants have in the past blown up pipelines, hampering production and exports.
The state has been embroiled in a political crisis pitting factions of the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) against each other. The state lawmakers had also threatened to impeach the governor and his deputy.
Tinubu’s state of emergency enables the federal government to make regulations to run the state and also allow authorities to easily deploy security forces to bring order if needed.
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