The House of Representatives has approved the imposition of state of emergency on Rivers State by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The House presided over by Speaker, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, however, amended the declaration of President Tinubu, reminding the President that only the National Assembly has the constitutional power to legislate for the state under the current circumstances.
President Tinubu in his national broadcast had declared that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) would henceforth take decisions for the state.
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Though the Speaker announced that 240 members were in attendance and therefore formed quorum, some lawmakers disagreed and raised points of order on on constitutional grounds.
Former Deputy Speaker, Hon. Idri Wase, however, urged his colleagues to allow the motion.
Aside from affirming that only the National Assembly can legislate on behalf of the state under an emergency rule, the House also resolved that a committee of prominent Nigerians be convened to intervene on the matter while the emergency rules subsists.
The House also resolved that the emergency rule must not run the six months initial period pronounced by the President, but can be lifted as soon as the issues at stake are resolved.
More details to come