Senate suspends plenary without debating Rivers state emergency declaration

The Nigerian Senate has suspended its plenary session without deliberating on President Bola Tinubu’s request for legislative approval of the state of emergency in Rivers State.

The Senate adjourned until Thursday, March 20, 2025, without offering an official explanation for the delay.

This development follows a similar situation in the House of Representatives, where lawmakers failed to vote on the matter due to low attendance.

According to Section 305 of the Nigerian Constitution, any presidential declaration of a state of emergency must be approved by a two-thirds majority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives within two days.

The Senate had convened on Wednesday with Tinubu’s emergency proclamation listed under messages from the president. However, instead of debating the motion, the chamber abruptly adjourned, leaving the approval process in limbo.

In his Tuesday evening national broadcast, Tinubu announced the suspension of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and all members of the State House of Assembly for six months. He also appointed retired Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (Rtd.), as the sole administrator of the state.

The decision has sparked widespread debate, with legal experts and political observers arguing that the Nigerian Constitution does not grant the president the authority to remove an elected governor through a state of emergency.