The Senate has entered a closed-door session to deliberate on President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of emergency rule in Rivers State and the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and members of the state’s House of Assembly.
The closed session was announced after Senate President Godswill Akpabio read a letter from Tinubu during plenary on Thursday.
Following the reading, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele moved a motion for a closed session pursuant to Order 135 of the Senate rules. The motion was seconded by the Senate Minority Leader, Abba Moro.
On Tuesday night, Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, citing prolonged political instability, constitutional breaches, and security threats as reasons for the drastic measure.
In his national broadcast, he announced the suspension of Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for an initial period of six months.
The crisis in Rivers State has led to a prolonged standoff, with governance in the oil-rich state paralysed due to a power struggle between Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
As part of his intervention, the President appointed Vice Admiral Ibok-Étè Ibas (retd.) as the sole administrator to oversee the state’s affairs until normalcy is restored.
Ibas, who served as Chief of Naval Staff from 2015 to 2021 under former President Muhammadu Buhari, is expected to lead the state’s administration during the emergency period.
