From Victor Osula, Abuja
The Senate has postponed its deliberation on the state of emergency imposed on Rivers State by President Bola Tinubu, amid mounting tensions over the political crisis in the oil-rich state.
President Tinubu, in a nationwide address on Tuesday, declared a state of emergency in Rivers, suspending both the executive and legislative arms of government. He subsequently appointed retired naval officer, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ette Ibas, as the state’s administrator.
“This declaration has been published in the Federal Gazette, a copy of which has been forwarded to the National Assembly in accordance with the Constitution,” the President stated.
However, when the Senate resumed plenary on Wednesday, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central) moved a motion to defer the debate, initially listed as the first item on the Order Paper, to 3:00 p.m.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio put the motion to a voice vote, which was met with overwhelming approval from the lawmakers.
Meanwhile, tensions also flared in the House of Representatives as two lawmakers—Marie Ebikake (Brass/Nembe Federal Constituency, Bayelsa) and Blessing Amadi (Port Harcourt Two Federal Constituency, Rivers State)—engaged in a heated argument over the emergency declaration.
The confrontation occurred just minutes before the plenary session commenced, as both lawmakers, alongside other members, debated the crisis in Rivers.
The exchange quickly escalated, with Ebikake and Amadi raising their voices and pointing fingers at each other before other lawmakers intervened.
The unfolding situation underscores the deepening political uncertainty surrounding the crisis in Rivers, with the Senate now set to deliberate on the matter later in the day.
