Senate Enters Closed Session To Debate Rivers State Emergency Rule

The Senate has decided to convene a closed-door session to discuss President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of emergency rule in Rivers State, as well as the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and other elected officials.

This resolution was announced after Senate President Godswill Akpabio read a letter from Tinubu at the plenary on Thursday.

Subsequently, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele moved the motion for a closed session, under Order 135 of the Senate rules.

Senator Bamidele said: “In the first instance, I came under order 1(b) of our rules, which gives us power to regulate our procedure.

“The first task was for me to let our colleagues know that we were going to change the items as arranged on the order table. So the next thing, of course, is for me to move a motion for us to go into a closed session pursuit to order pursuant to Order 135 of our rules.

“Having said that, let me say that I move pursuant to order 135 of our rules that the Senate now goes into a closed session as a prelude to the motion that I have on the order paper.”

The motion was seconded by the Senate Minority Leader, Abba Moro.

The lower chamber, the House of Representatives, earlier backed President Tinubu's declaration of the state of emergency in Rivers State on Tuesday.