Emergency Rule: Lobbying, Intrigues, As Tinubu Seeks N/Assembly’s Ratification

…State Governors Rally Support For Fubara

President Bola Tinubu’s request seeking parliamentary ratification of the emergency rule he imposed on Rivers State will face the acid test on Thursday.

Tinubu had, on Tuesday, suspended the governor, Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu alongside the Rivers Assembly for six months.

The president appointed retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas as Sole Administrator for the state.

But the president’s emergency rule declaration must be ratified by two-thirds of the members of the Senate and House of Representatives within 48 hours of the pronouncement.

Going by Section 305 of the constitution, failure to get the ratification of the National Assembly within the stipulated 48 hours, will automatically render the declaration null, void and of no effect.

Sensing that the president’s request for ratification might be shot down on Wednesday, the leadership of the two chambers of the National Assembly tactically skipped the request, even though the Senate had earlier listed it for consideration.

Investigation by THE WHISTLER revealed that high level consultations have been ongoing among forces opposed to the declaration, even as those favourably disposed to ratifying the emergency rule have also been consulting.

This platform further gathered that virtually all the 36 states governors across party lines, have been mounting pressure on their representatives in the Senate and House of Representatives to shoot down the president’s request.

The governors’ position is in solidarity with one of their own, Fubara who was suspended from office on the strength of the emergency rule declaration.

Apart from pressure from the 36 state governors, the 12 former governors who are serving members of the present Senate, are also said to be opposed to the president’s request for ratification.

Although the Senate is made up of 109 members, only about 103 of them appear to be available for now. It’s not certain if all the 103 members will attend plenary on Thursday, for the consideration of the president’s request. The emergency rule declaration will expire if not ratified by Thursday, 48 hours after its declaration.

Of the 103 expected to be at plenary, All Progressives Congress (APC), which is the party in majority, may not have more than 55 members in attendance. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may have up to 35 members; Labour Party (LP), eight; APGA, one; and the SDP and NNPP with two members apiece.

The two-thirds majority votes required for the ratification will be by electronic voting, against voice votes with which less contentious issues are determined.

At least, PDP members and other opposition lawmakers are expected to vote against the ratification. If they stay the course, they can shoot down the request.

It might as well be a litmus test of the fidelity of opposition parties in the parliament.

Where the gadget for electronic voting is not available, each lawmaker is expected to vote by identifying themselves and openly vote for, or against the request.

In what many described as putting the cart before the horse, President Tinubu had, on Wednesday, sworn-in the Sole Administrator Ibas at the presidential villa, Abuja.

Normally, the ratification by the National Assembly should precede the swearing-in of the Sole Administrator, leaving observers to speculate that it might as well be a “cut and dried” deal.

Watchers of the Rivers crisis posit that President Tinubu declared the emergency rule when it was apparent that the impeachment proceeding initiated by the Rivers Assembly against Fubrara could fail.

The Assembly, with 27 out of 30 members opposed to Fubara, it would have recorded a smooth sail in the impeachment of the governor and his deputy.

However, the state’s Chief Judge, Simeon Amadi, who is on Fubara’s side, constituted an obstacle. It became obvious to the state legislators that Amadi would have shot down the impeachment process by returning a “not guilty” verdict on Fubara.

Earlier, attempts made by lawmakers loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to discredit and disqualify the Chief Judge had failed, heightening the suspicion that he might frustrate the impeachment proceedings.

President Tinubu has come under harsh criticism over the emergency rule declaration, a move many believed was instigated by the FCT Minister with a view to taking control of the governance structure in Rivers State through his proxies.

If the attempted impeachment of the suspended governor and his deputy had succeeded, the Speaker of the state Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, who is Wike’s protege, would have stepped in as governor in the immediate term.

Emergency Rule: Lobbying, Intrigues, As Tinubu Seeks N/Assembly’s Ratification is first published on The Whistler Newspaper