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.
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.
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.
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.
