Deborah Akinyosoye
THE Senate has admitted receiving communication from President Bola Tinubu on the six-month suspension that he slammed on Governor Siminalaye Fubara of Rivers State.
The Senate has, however, moved the debate on the letter to 3 pm.
Though the motion was slated as the first matter to be discussed in today’s Order paper and when it time, the leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, APC, Ekiti Central stood and cited Order 1( b) of the Senate Standing Orders 2023 as amended that the next item should be discussed instead of the letter. He was seconded by the Minority Leader, Senator Abba Moro, PDP, Benue South.
Thereafter, the second item in the Order Paper was taken.
It is the Confirmation of the Nominations of Appointment as Members of the Police Service Commission (PSC) by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Police Affairs, Senator Abdulhamid, Mallam-Madori, APC, Jigatwa East.
In presenting his report, he said, “That the Senate do Receive and Consider the Report of the Committee on Police Affairs on the confirmation of the nominations of the following persons for appointment as Members of the Police Service Commission (PSC).”
Prior to the consideration of today’s plenary session on the motion which was the first in the Order Paper, plenary did not commence at 11am as indicated in the Standing as time for commencement of the day’s plenary session, the prayer session took place at 12.41 as soon as the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio came barely two minutes before the prayer session.
Thereafter, there was a standstill as the session after prayer did not continue until he commenced with approval of votes and proceedings at 1.05pm.
President Tinubu had on Tuesday declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, suspending Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for an initial period of six months.
In a national broadcast, Tinubu cited prolonged political instability, constitutional breaches, and security threats as reasons for the extraordinary measure.
The crisis, which had paralysed governance in the oil-rich state, stems from a power struggle between Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
As part of the directive, the President also appointed Vice Admiral Ibok-Étè Ibas (retd.) as the sole administrator to oversee the state’s affairs until normalcy is restored. Ibas served as Chief of Naval Staff from 2015 to 2021 under former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Details later…