Fubara’s Suspension: Lawmakers Struggle To Form Quorum Amid Absences

President Bola Tinubu is encountering significant challenges in his efforts to secure the necessary two-thirds majority in the National Assembly to approve his declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State.

Naija News understands that the president’s declaration, made on Tuesday, has sparked a heated debate and raised questions about its constitutional validity.

In his national address, Tinubu cited a prolonged political crisis in Rivers State as the primary reason for his decision to declare a state of emergency.

As part of the emergency measure, the president controversially suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and all members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for six months.

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Additionally, Tinubu appointed retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, a former Chief of Naval Staff, as the administrator for the state during the emergency period.

However, Tinubu’s efforts to get the National Assembly to approve the emergency rule face serious obstacles.

Sources within the National Assembly told TheCable that both the Senate and House of Representatives are struggling to form a quorum due to the absence of many lawmakers.

A significant number of them are currently in Saudi Arabia for the lesser hajj and Ramadan fasting.

The quorum requirement for the Senate is 37 members, while the House of Representatives requires 120 members to form a quorum.

“Even if we manage to form a quorum, the constitution says the vote shall involve all members — meaning 109 in the senate and 360 in the house,” a member of the house of reps told TheCable.

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On Wednesday night, the leaders of the National Assembly were reportedly collecting signatures from absent members to allow them to vote in absentia. However, some lawmakers have raised concerns that such a move would be unconstitutional.

According to Section 305(2) of the 1999 Constitution, the Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives are required to convene or arrange a meeting to consider the state of emergency and decide whether to pass a resolution approving the proclamation. There is no provision for absentee voting or voting via remote methods like WhatsApp.

A senator who spoke to TheCable on Wednesday night emphasized, “There is no provision for absentee or WhatsApp voting. Every member will stand up and declare if they are in support of or against the declaration of the state of emergency.”