The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, has stated that the National Assembly holds the final authority on the suspension of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara.
Speaking on the recent political crisis in the state, Fagbemi emphasized that the National Assembly must ratify the suspension with a two-thirds majority for it to stand.
“The ball is now in the court of the National Assembly,” he said.
“If they do not ratify it, the suspensions will not stand.”
Speaking in defense of President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency, Fagbemi claimed that Fubara not only failed to prevent the attacks but had also indirectly encouraged the militants.
“He initially suggested that he would let them know when it was time to act. Even if we assume that was just rhetoric, did he come out to disown them when they took action? The answer is no. And barely a week after, we saw the vandalization of oil pipelines,” Fagbemi said.
On Tuesday, Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, suspending his deputy Fubara, Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the state House of Assembly for six months.
The declaration of emergency rule in Rivers State has ignited intense debate, with critics accusing Tinubu of abusing political power, while supporters contend that it was essential to restore stability.
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