President Bola Tinubu’s effort to gain legislative approval for the state of emergency in Rivers State faced a major hurdle on Wednesday, as the House of Representatives failed to proceed with a vote due to low attendance.
According to Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution, any declaration of a state of emergency must be ratified by a two-thirds majority in both the House of Representatives and the Senate within two days of issuance. However, the session on Wednesday saw less than 80 lawmakers in attendance, far below the 120 members required to form a quorum in the 360-member chamber.
Without the necessary quorum, lawmakers were unable to deliberate or vote on the president’s request, leaving the emergency declaration in limbo.
Despite Tinubu’s emergency proclamation being included in the day’s agenda under messages from the president, the House could only discuss motions and receive petitions, as House rules mandate that at least one-third of members must be present for decisions to carry legal weight.
Reports indicate that some lawmakers may have deliberately stayed away from the session, attempting to distance themselves from what critics have labeled an unconstitutional power grab by the president.
This comes after Tinubu’s national broadcast on Tuesday, where he announced the suspension of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his Deputy Ngozi Odu, and all members of the State House of Assembly for a six-month period.
In their place, the president appointed retired Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (Rtd.), as the sole administrator of the state.
The development has sparked concerns among legal experts and political figures, with many arguing that the Nigerian Constitution does not grant the president the authority to remove an elected governor.
With the House of Representatives unable to take action, it remains unclear whether Tinubu’s declaration will ultimately receive legislative approval or face further resistance from lawmakers and stakeholders.
