From Ndubuisi Orji and Adesuwa Tsan, Abuja
Wild echoes of President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of state of emergency in Rivers State reverberated through the two chambers of the National Assembly yesterday. While it stirred rowdiness in the green chamber, members of the red chamber were forced to beat a hasty retreat to restrategise ahead of today’s debate.
The state has been in turmoil for over one year following political political muscle-flexing between Governor Sim Fubara and his predecessor and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
The conflict polarised the House of Assembly with 27 of the lawmakers loyal to the former governor and three to the governor. However, Fubara recognised the three lawmakers loyal to him, saying the other 27 had defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
However, the Supreme Court ruled two weeks ago that there was no evidence to prove that the 27 lawmakers left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on whose platform they were elected.
Tension heightened in the state, on Monday, after the Assembly raised a notice of misconduct against Fubara and his deputy.
In a national broadcast on Tuesday, President Tinubu announced the suspension of Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and the state lawmakers over their failure to resolve their political differences. He also cited the destruction of pipelines by suspected militants as a contributing factor to the declaration.
But an attempt by the National Assembly to debate the matter at plenary, yesterday, failed
At the Senate, the matter titled: “Proclamation of State of Emergency in Rivers State” was listed as the first motion in the orders of the day under the name of the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele.
Signs that the motion might not be considered began when lawmakers swooped on the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, as he took his seat to begin the plenary session at about 12:30pm. Plenary did not start until 1.05pm.
After petitions and other preliminary matters were addressed, Bamidele sought leave to step down the motion for emergency rule proclamation approval until 3pm for consideration. This request was put to a voice vote and approved. However, a few minutes before the rescheduled time, he again sought approval to defer all matters on the Order Paper, including the emergency rule motion, to another legislative day.
Daily Sun gathered that one of the reasons the motion was not considered had to do with the inability to get the needed number of senators to pass it. A lawmaker who did not want his name mentioned said 68 senators signed the register. The principal officers, 10 in number, are not included because they do not sign in. What is required by law is 73 senators to constitute two-third.
He added that even if the 10 senators in leadership were added, the number would have risen to 78 but there was no assurance that all the senators would have voted in favour of the state of emergency proclamation.
Due to the risk involved since “there cannot be a rematch” if the senators did not all support it, the leadership decided to step it down till another day.
The senator also expressed doubt that the emergency rule proclamation will scale through today if it is relisted for approval because many Muslim lawmakers were away on pilgrimage and cannot return “even though there is heavy mobilisation going on to bring them back.”
At the House of Representatives, while some lawmakers expressed support for the emergency rule, saying it was crucial to restore peace, others disagreed.
Daily Sun gathered that many of the caucuses were engaged in intensive consultation and lobby, ahead of a likely debate on the issue today.
However, amid speculations that members deliberately stayed away from plenary, the deputy spokesman, Phillip Agbese, told journalists that some members were busy with committee engagements.
Agbese noted that though the House leadership was consulted by President Tinubu prior to the declaration of the emergency rule, the parliament would be guided by the 1999 Constitution in taking a decision on the issue.
•Ipalibo, others react
The senator representing Rivers West, Ipalibo Banigo, has said she was not in support of emergency proclamation in the state.
In a brief reaction to our correspondent via text, she said: “State of emergency is not commendable given we’re in a constitutional democracy. It does not augur well for the social and economic lives of Rivers people and Nigeria as a whole.”
But the senator representing Ondo South, Jimoh Ibrahim, endorsed the emergency rule.
“The President only suspended for six months, and this six months will enable parties to go to the table, find out their differences, and come, so that there can be peace in River State and by extension Nigeria. So I think the President has acted in accordance with the constitution.”
Spokesman of the Senate, Yemi Adaramodu, however, called for patience, saying the matter would be given adequate attention today.
The motion as listed in the Order Paper noted that “Rivers State has been experiencing serious political crises and disturbances, which presently constitute grave threats to peace, order, good governance, security, and the safety of the state and its citizenry.
“The state has been at a standstill since the crisis began, preventing the good people of Rivers State from enjoying the dividends of democracy.
“The magnitude of the crisis has overwhelmed the state government, as the parties involved have failed to allow good sense to prevail and restore peace. This has necessitated the Federal Government’s intervention to ensure peace, security, and good governance.”
Furthermore, the motion highlighted that “there is a clear and present danger in the crises, as some militants have threatened fire and brimstone, with security reports indicating disturbing incidents of vandalism of oil pipelines.”
It emphasised the need for “adequate and extraordinary measures to restore good governance, peace, order, and security in Rivers State.”
The motion also acknowledged that “the President and Commander-in-Chief has published and transmitted copies of the official Gazette of the Government of the Federation containing the proclamation, including details of the emergency, to the President of the Senate, in accordance with Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).”
It concluded that “this matter is of serious concern to the Senate and the generality of Nigerians.”