The National Assembly is set to consider a letter by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on emergency rule declaration in Rivers State.
The letter to the two chambers of the Assembly was initially scheduled for reading to the members yesterday but will be presented and discussed today.
In the Senate, a motion for consideration of the letter was stood down twice.
It was learnt that the decision by the Senate leadership to step down the motion was because members in chambers were not enough to muster 73 votes required to approve a state of emergency.
Some Senators were not present because of the ongoing Ramadan fast. Some are presently in Saudi Arabia for the lesser Hajj.
To ensure that the motion was tabled today, Senators who are out of Abuja are being recalled to attend plenary.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Inter-Parliamentary Affairs, Jimoh Ibrahim, who confirmed the development, assured that the debate and consideration of the proclamation would take place today.
“First thing tomorrow (today) morning, information will go to other members, so members are fasting, they are praying in their homes. Tomorrow they will be here,’’ he said.
Furthermore, Checkout Magazine gathered that mild tension in the House over the emergency rule proclamation in the oil-rich state might have informed its leadership not to read the letter.
Members, who arrived early, gathered in groups discussing the development with some openly expressing displeasure and others remaining calm.
Two female members Blessing Amadi (PDP, Rivers) and Marie Ebikake engaged in a shouting match over the constitutionality of the President’s decision.
While some lawmakers waded in to prevent the female lawmakers from engaging in fisticuff, a few were seen banging their tables and shouting ‘’nothing will happen here today (yesterday).’’
Normalcy, however, returned when Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, who presided, announced the presence of some schools that were on excursion.
When Kalu thereafter called for submission of petitions from members, it became clear that the letter from President Tinubu would no longer be read.
Those poised for a showdown left the chambers disappointed. However, some expressed confidence that the letter would be tabled before the members during today’s plenary.
