Fubara’s Suspension: Three Senators Walk Out of Akpabio, Reason Emerges

• President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency did not sit down well with some senators, despite the Senate voting in support of the move
• During the debate of the motion, some senators were said to share different views on the development, forcing Senate President Godswill Akpabio to result to voice vote rather than formal votes due to lack of quorum
• While Senator Seriake Dickson from Bayelsa state confronted Akpabio during plenary, three senators were said to have walked out of plenary to protest their disagreement

FCT, Abuja – Senate President Godswill Akpabio reportedly clashed with some senators during the Senate’s closed-door session over the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the state of emergency declared in Rivers by President Bola Tinubu.

The president declared a state of emergency over the failure of the governor and the State House of Assembly to implement the Supreme Court judgment on the political crisis in the state and the security report on violence in the state.

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The Senate has conveyed to debate and vote against or in support of the president’s move, in which some Senators allegedly kicked against the move during plenary on Thursday, March 20 and this formed the basis of their clash with the Senate President Akpabio.

During the closed-door session, there were heated arguments among the senators and many of them shared dissenting views on the declaration of the state of emergency. Despite the opposition, the Red Chamber opted for a voice vote rather than a formal vote count, which was alleged to be because of a lack of quorum.

According to Vanguard, three notable senators walked out of the chamber in protest against the decision of the Senate president on the matter. The senators are:

Senators Seriake Dickson

Dickson, the senator representing Bayelsa West, was one of the first Nigerian senators who kicked against President Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers state.

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House of reps approves Tinubu’s suspension of Fubara, state of emergency in Rivers

The Senator, who was a two-term governor of Bayelsa, was said to have walked out of the Senate president during plenary when the issue of Rivers started Thursday, March 20.

Being a strong member of the leading opposition, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dickson had earlier vowed to mobilise the Senators against the move.

Enyinnaya Abaribe

The Abia senator from the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) was another senator who reportedly walked out of the plenary on Thursday to protest the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers.

Abaribe is a high-ranking Nigerian senator, who has served as deputy governor of Abia state and currently serving as the minority leader in the Senate.

Aminu Tambuwal

This is another PDP senator representing Sokoto South Senatorial district who protested against the state of emergency declaration in Rivers as he walked out of the plenary on Thursday.

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Rivers emergency rule: Hope for Fubara as Tinubu’s men struggle to secure two-thirds majority in NASS

Tambuwal was the immediate past governor of Sokoto and a former speaker of the House of Representatives.

Rivers crisis: PDP governors rejected Tinubu’s declaration

Legit.ng earlier reported that the 12 PDP governors have condemned the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara by President Bola Tinubu.

President Tinubu suspended the governor, his deputy, and the state’s legislature over their failure to implement the Supreme Court judgment on the crisis rocking the state and security report.

The PDP governors described Tinubu’s broadcast as a grievous mistake and a threat to the opposition in Nigeria, decrying the president’s silence on Wike’s role in the Rivers crisis.

Source: Legit.ng