Breaking: Senate Receives President Tinubu’s Letter On Rivers State Emergency, Debate Moved To 3 PM

The Senate has acknowledged receiving communication from President Bola Tinubu regarding his six-month suspension of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, following his declaration of a state of emergency in the state. However, the debate on the matter has been postponed until 3 p.m. today.

While the motion to discuss the letter from the President was initially slated to be the first item on the Senate’s order paper, the leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central), cited Order 1(b) of the Senate Standing Orders 2023 (as amended) to argue that the next item on the agenda should be addressed first instead.

His suggestion was seconded by the Minority Leader, Senator Abba Moro (PDP, Benue South), and the Senate proceeded with the second item.

Following the shift in the Senate’s agenda, the second item on the order paper, which was the confirmation of appointments to the Police Service Commission (PSC), was taken up.

Senator Abdulhamid Mallam-Madori (APC, Jigawa East), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Police Affairs, presented the motion for the confirmation of nominees for the PSC.

In his report, Mallam-Madori stated, “That the Senate do Receive and Consider the Report of the Committee on Police Affairs on the confirmation of the nominations of the following persons for appointment as Members of the Police Service Commission.”

The day’s plenary session experienced delays, as the Senate did not commence at the scheduled 11 a.m. time. A prayer session eventually took place at 12:41 p.m., with Senate President Godswill Akpabio arriving barely two minutes before the session started.

The session continued with the approval of votes and proceedings at 1:05 p.m., following the prayer session.

In a nationwide broadcast on Tuesday, Naijaonpoint reports that President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, citing prolonged political instability, constitutional breaches, and security threats as the reasons for his decision.

He suspended Governor Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and all members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for an initial period of six months.

The political crisis, which has paralyzed governance in the oil-rich state, stems from an ongoing power struggle between Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, now the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

As part of his emergency declaration, President Tinubu appointed Vice Admiral Ibok-Étè Ibas (retd.), former Chief of Naval Staff from 2015 to 2021 under former President Muhammadu Buhari, as the sole administrator to oversee the state’s affairs until normalcy is restored.