The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, is reported to have provided funds to Senate President Godswill Akpabio to rally senators in support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State.
Sources told SaharaReporters that Wike met with Akpabio after President Tinubu instructed him to lay the groundwork for the state of emergency.
According to the sources, Wike provided over $3 million to Akpabio during their meeting, and Akpabio subsequently invited some senators to an Iftar, where he allegedly distributed dollars based on their seniority.
However, some senators, including former Bayelsa Governor Seriake Dickson and former Sokoto Governor Aminu Tambuwal, reportedly did not attend the Iftar.
On Wednesday, the Senate received a formal communication from President Tinubu regarding the six-month suspension of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his Deputy Ngozi Odu, and the State House of Assembly.
Although the motion to deliberate on the matter was initially listed as the first item on the day’s agenda, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele invoked Order 1(b) of the Senate Standing Orders to delay the debate until 3 p.m. The motion was seconded by Minority Leader Abba Moro.
Sources indicated that Akpabio deliberately delayed the debate until 3 p.m. to ensure that fewer senators were present, knowing that fewer than 60 senators were in attendance, well below the 72 needed to meet the quorum for a vote.
Meanwhile, in the House of Representatives, a vote on Tinubu’s state of emergency declaration failed due to a lack of quorum. The House requires a minimum of 240 members for a valid vote, but fewer than 80 lawmakers were present for the plenary session. This absence of quorum resulted in the session being limited to non-binding activities.
Tensions were high ahead of the session, with some lawmakers engaging in heated exchanges over the state of emergency. Some members were visibly frustrated, questioning the legitimacy of the action, especially considering the constitutional concerns regarding the president’s authority to remove an elected governor.
The declaration, announced by Tinubu on Tuesday evening, includes the suspension of Governor Fubara, his deputy, and the entire state House of Assembly for an initial six months. The president also appointed retired Chief of Naval Staff, Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, as the sole administrator of Rivers State.
