The declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State by President Bola Tinubu has sparked division among lawmakers, leading to a tense session in the Senate. Despite the chamber’s approval of the decision, some senators openly disagreed with the move, resulting in a heated exchange with Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
During the plenary on Thursday, March 20, several senators expressed opposing views on the matter. The disagreement became so intense that Akpabio opted for a voice vote rather than a formal vote count, reportedly due to an alleged lack of quorum.
According to reports, three senators walked out of the Senate chamber in protest of the decision to uphold Tinubu’s declaration. The lawmakers involved were:
- Senator Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa West – PDP)
- Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South – APGA)
- Senator Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto South – PDP)
Their action was a direct response to the decision to back Tinubu’s directive, which they believe undermines democratic governance in Rivers State.
Seriake Dickson, a former two-term governor of Bayelsa State, was among the first to oppose the state of emergency. As a senior figure within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), he had previously warned of mobilizing against the move.
During the session, when the matter was brought up, Dickson reportedly left the chamber in protest. His stance highlights the deepening divide among lawmakers on the handling of Rivers State’s political crisis.
Enyinnaya Abaribe, a high-ranking senator from Abia South under the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), also walked out during the session. Abaribe, who has previously served as deputy governor of Abia State and is currently a key opposition figure in the Senate, strongly opposed the declaration, citing concerns over its impact on democracy and governance.
Former Sokoto State Governor and ex-Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, also staged a walkout in protest. Representing Sokoto South (PDP), Tambuwal has been a vocal critic of what he sees as excessive executive interference in state affairs. His decision to leave the plenary underscores the mounting tensions surrounding the federal government’s involvement in Rivers State’s governance crisis.
