Fubara: ‘If He Had Coordinated Well With Us, We Would Have Adjourned Indefinitely’ – Lawmaker Reveals Tinubu’s Miscalculation

An All Progressives Congress (APC) senator has criticized President Bola Tinubu for not properly consulting with the National Assembly before declaring a state of emergency in Rivers State, saying the president’s actions have placed lawmakers in a difficult situation.

On Tuesday, Tinubu declared an emergency rule in the South-South state, citing a protracted political crisis.

Naijaonpoint reports that the president controversially suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and all members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for six months. He also appointed retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas as the state’s administrator.

The Constitution stipulates that for the emergency rule to be valid, it must be approved by the National Assembly within two days if in session, or within ten days if not in session.

The APC senator, who spoke anonymously with TheCable, pointed out that the National Assembly had adjourned until Wednesday, meaning that the assembly was automatically in session when the announcement was made, leaving them with a tight two-day window to vote.

“We had adjourned till Wednesday when the president made the announcement, so automatically we are in session and that means we have to vote within two days, latest Thursday.

“If he had coordinated well with us, we would have adjourned indefinitely before the proclamation — and that means we would have had 10 days to get our act together and gather the numbers,” the senator explained

Following Tinubu’s announcement, the spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Akin Rotimi, stated that the president had consulted with the National Assembly before making the declaration.

Rotimi confirmed that the president’s letter, seeking approval for the state of emergency under Section 305 of the Constitution, had been transmitted to the House and would be read during plenary on Wednesday for further legislative action.

However, contrary to Rotimi’s statement, the letter was not read on the floor of the Green Chamber on Wednesday. This created further confusion about the level of coordination between the president and the lawmakers.

In the Senate, the motion to consider the state of emergency in Rivers State was also deferred during Wednesday’s plenary session. The motion, which was the first item on the agenda, was put on hold before any debate could take place.