BREAKING: House of Reps Backs President’s Emergency Rule in Rivers State

Published on March 20, 2025

The House of Representatives has voted in support of President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State.

The decision was made during a plenary session on Thursday, with 240 lawmakers in attendance.

Recall that President Tinubu had declared the state of emergency on Tuesday, citing “disturbing incidents of vandalisation of pipelines by some militant without the governor taking any action to curtail them”.

The move suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for six months.

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The House of Representatives made some amendments to the proclamation, including:

Establishment of a Mediation Committee: A committee of eminent Nigerians will be set up to mediate on the matter during the period of emergency.

Constitutional Provision: The House drew attention to the Constitutional provision that allows the National Assembly to make laws for a state if the state assembly is unable to perform its functions.

Review and Termination: The state of emergency can be reviewed and terminated at any time within the initial six months, based on progress made about peace.

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The Federal Government has defended President Tinubu’s actions, while leaders of the opposition and some prominent Nigerians, including governors Peter Obi, Atiku Abubakar, Rotimi Amaechi, and Nasir El-Rufai, have condemned the move.

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