The House of Representatives has approved the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, alongside the six-month suspension of Governor Sim Fubara, his deputy, and all elected members of the state assembly, as announced by President Bola Tinubu.
The president’s proclamation received formal approval through a voice vote during Thursday’s plenary session.
On Wednesday, the House had failed to form a quorum, preventing a debate on the letter of proclamation sent by the President. However, more lawmakers attended Thursday’s session, prompting Speaker Abbas to announce that all scheduled items on the Order Paper had been set aside to consider President Tinubu’s request for the approval of emergency rule in Rivers State.
House Leader, Prof Julius Ihonvbere, who moved the motion for the consideration of the proclamation, urged his colleagues to act with a sense of historical responsibility.
“We all have our biases, and I have mine too,” he said. “But on this issue, let us rise above them and assist the President in finding a solution. Let’s work together, from the ground up, to foster the conversations and negotiations necessary to establish sustainable, credible, and inclusive peace in Rivers State.”
According to Section 305(2) of the Constitution, for the emergency rule to take effect, the proclamation must be approved by at least two-thirds of both chambers of the National Assembly—240 votes in the House of Representatives and 73 in the Senate.
Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, presiding over the session, encouraged members to contribute to the debate on the general principles of the President’s report.
As the debate was set to begin, Obinna Aguocha, the Labour Party representative for Umuahia North/Umuahia South Federal Constituency in Abia State, emphasized the importance of ensuring a quorum before proceeding. He reminded the Speaker that Section 305(6b) requires two-thirds of members to be present for the proceedings to be valid.
“We need to establish our attendance first,” Aguocha said. “This will guide all subsequent actions we take here.”
Similarly, Frederick Agbedi, a representative from Sagbama/Ekeremor Federal Constituency in Bayelsa State and a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, urged Speaker Abbas to demonstrate leadership by strictly adhering to the constitutional requirements.
“We are debating a constitutional matter,” Agbedi noted. “It is in the integrity and interest of this House to follow the Constitution. Please announce the quorum transparently, so Nigerians know we are not bypassing the law. This is not about supporting or opposing the President’s decision, but about ensuring the Constitution is respected.”
In response, Speaker Abbas assured lawmakers that all proceedings would fully comply with the Constitution.
During the debate, Deputy Spokesman of the House Philip Agbese proposed forming a national mediation committee to facilitate dialogue between Governor Fubara and the State Assembly, helping to restore peace.
“We’ve seen in the past, during times of national crises, how committees of eminent Nigerians were established to mediate,” Agbese said. “Such a committee could help guide the process during the emergency rule, ensuring that the issues leading to the crisis in Rivers State do not resurface.”
Additionally, Deputy Minority Whip Ali Isah suggested that while the state of emergency was declared for six months, the House should recommend to the President the possibility of shortening this period if peace initiatives prove successful.
“With strong commitment, this issue in Rivers can be resolved very quickly,” Isah stated. “The President should have the option to review the state of emergency at any time, and it may not be necessary to wait for the full six months.”
Delta lawmaker Benedict Etanabene expressed his support for efforts to restore peace in Rivers State but argued that Section 305 must be read in conjunction with Section 11 of the Constitution, which grants the National Assembly the power to intervene if a state assembly is unable to function.
“Section 305 cannot be considered in isolation,” Etanabene explained. “Section 11(4) empowers the National Assembly to step in when a state assembly is incapacitated, as is the case in Rivers State. Therefore, the provisions of Section 11(4) should take precedence over the President’s proclamation.”
All three recommendations were approved via voice vote, and Speaker Abbas confirmed that 243 lawmakers had signed the attendance register for the session.
