While no reason was officially offered for the delay in approving the state of emergency, observers say the decision may be linked to behind-the-scenes consultations.
The senate on Wednesday, delayed its planned debate on the motion seeking approval for the proclamation of a state of emergency in Rivers State. The motion, which was listed as the first item on the order paper, was unexpectedly stepped down without any detailed explanation.
Sponsored by the Leader of the Senate, Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti central), the motion was scheduled for immediate consideration during the plenary session. However, when the time came, Bamidele moved for the motion to be deferred until 3:00 p.m., citing the need to attend to other legislative activities on the order paper. Shortly after moving this motion, Bamidele exited the chamber briefly.
The decision created a brief moment of suspense in the chamber, considering the sensitivity of the matter and the urgency surrounding the Rivers State crisis.
As plenary progressed, the senate considered two other items on the order paper. However, at about 2:47 p.m., Bamidele once again rose to move a fresh motion that all remaining legislative activities scheduled for the day be postponed to another legislative sitting.
The motion was subsequently adopted without objections.
The deferred motion, which sought to secure the senate’s approval for President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, highlights the senate’s concern over the deteriorating situation in the oil-rich state.
The motion captures the senate’s worry about the escalating political tensions, which have effectively brought governance in Rivers State to a standstill, depriving citizens of critical democratic dividends.
While no reason was officially offered for the delay, observers say the decision may be linked to behind-the-scenes consultations, given the political sensitivity of imposing emergency rule on a state central to Nigeria’s oil economy and political calculations.
