Despite strong opposition to the presidential proclamation imposing a state of emergency in oil-rich Rivers State, Nigeria’s two top legislative chambers have approved President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of 18 March 2025, within the 48-hour period stipulated by the 1999 Constitution.

In separate voice votes, which have been widely criticised, the 109-member Senate and the 360-member House of Representatives, both dominated by members of the president’s party, endorsed the emergency rule imposed on the Niger Delta state.

In a nationwide broadcast on Tuesday, 18 March 2025, Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, suspending Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for an initial period of six months. The president cited Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution, stating that he could no longer remain passive while the political situation in Rivers continued to escalate.

Tinubu promptly appointed and swore in retired naval chief Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd) as the sole administrator of the state.

RELATED STORY: Fubara, Lawmakers Suspended as Tinubu Declares State of Emergency in Rivers

The suspension of Fubara and other elected representatives has been met with widespread condemnation from prominent Nigerians, legal experts, and various groups, including Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Rotimi Amaechi, Atedo Peterside, Nasir El-Rufai, Femi Falana, the Labour Party (LP), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), and the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), among others.

However, the emergency rule has been welcomed by pro-Nyesom Wike lawmakers, who accused Fubara of disregarding the Supreme Court’s ruling on the political crisis in the state. For two years, Wike, the immediate past governor of Rivers State, and his former political ally Fubara have been locked in a fierce battle for control over the state’s political structure.

The last instance of a president declaring a state of emergency in Nigeria was on 14 May 2013, when Goodluck Jonathan imposed it on the insurgency-plagued northeastern states of Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa.

At a State House briefing on Wednesday, 19 March 2025, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi, defended the president’s action, squarely blaming Fubara for failing to implement the Supreme Court’s ruling of 28 February 2025 regarding the state’s prolonged political crisis. Fagbemi argued that the emergency rule was, in fact, a reprieve for Fubara, who had already been served an impeachment notice by pro-Wike lawmakers.

The justice minister urged those opposing the president’s move to direct their grievances to the National Assembly, which has the constitutional authority to overturn the decision. He also suggested that the state’s frozen allocations might be released to the newly appointed administrator.

On Thursday, 20 March 2025, attention turned to the House of Representatives and the Senate, where lawmakers were expected to either approve or reject Tinubu’s proclamation. Many prominent voices, representing millions of constituents across the country, passionately urged their representatives to vote against the declaration.

To formalise his move, Tinubu sent separate letters to the Senate and the House of Representatives on Wednesday, seeking their approval for the emergency rule. Initially, both chambers rejected motions on the matter.

However, on Thursday, in the Green Chamber, 240 lawmakers, through a voice vote, endorsed the president’s decision.

Led by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, the House of Representatives introduced amendments to the proclamation, including the establishment of a committee of eminent Nigerians to mediate on the matter during the emergency period. The lawmakers also rejected Tinubu’s proposal for the new administrator to report to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) instead of the National Assembly. Furthermore, they stipulated that the emergency rule could be reviewed and lifted at any time within the initial six-month period, depending on the progress towards restoring peace.

Similarly, in the Red Chamber, the 109-member Senate, also dominated by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), approved Tinubu’s proclamation via a voice vote, citing its constitutional powers under the amended 1999 Constitution.

The Senate aligned with the House of Representatives in establishing a joint committee to oversee Rivers State’s administration during the emergency period and in supporting a committee of eminent Nigerians to resolve the crisis.

Following the National Assembly’s approval, Tinubu expressed gratitude to the lawmakers for backing his emergency rule in Rivers State. However, many Nigerians remain deeply dismayed by the legislature’s decision, accusing the Akpabio-led Senate and the Abbas-led House of being a rubber stamp for the executive. Critics argue that their endorsement of the emergency rule and the suspension of elected officials poses a serious threat to Nigeria’s fledgling democracy.