Members of the House of Representatives have engaged in a war of words as the lower chamber prepare to debate the emergency rule in Rivers State.
Two female lawmakers, Marie Ebikake (PDP, Bayelsa) and Blessing Amadi (PDP, Rivers), were seen embroiled in a heated verbal exchange over the constitutionality of the President’s decision to declare a state of emergency in Rivers.
It was gathered that this incident which occurred before the start of plenary, took the intervention of other lawmakers in the chamber to prevent the issue from escalating into an uncontrollable situation.
It would be recalled that President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday declared a state of emergency in Rivers amid the protracted political disputes in the state.
In a nationwide address, the president also suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and members of the state assembly for six months.
Tinubu also nominated a former Chief Of Naval Staff, Vice-admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd), to oversee the affairs of the state pending the expiration of the the suspension.
In his reaction, the spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Akin Rotimi, said Tinubu informed the national assembly through a letter before the declaration of the state of emergency in the state.
Rotimi explained that Tinubu’s letter informing the house of his decision and seeking approval on the state of emergency in Rivers in accordance with section 305 of the Constitution had been transmitted to the green chamber and would be read during plenary on Wednesday for further legislative action.
He added that Tinubu met with the leadership of both chambers, and the National Security Adviser and Service Chiefs before the broadcast.
