FCT, Abuja – President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s foot soldiers are reportedly struggling to secure a two-thirds majority in the national assembly to approve his declaration of emergency rule in Rivers state.
Legit.ng recalls that President Tinubu suspended Governor Sim Fubara, his deputy, and members of the Rivers state assembly of assembly for six months.
Rivers emergency rule: Constitution on two-thirds majority
The condition for the two-thirds majority is contained in Section 305 (6), which stipulates that a:
“Proclamation issued by the President under this section shall cease to have effect (b) if it affects the Federation or any part thereof and within two days when the National Assembly is in session, or within ten days when the National Assembly is not in session, after its publication, there is no resolution supported by two-thirds majority of all the members of each House of the National Assembly approving the proclamation.”
President Tinubu needs at least 240 votes in the house of reps and 73 in the Senate for his proclamation to stand.
Recall that there are 360 members in the Senate and 109 in the house of reps.
As reported by TheCable, sources in the national assembly said President Tinubu’s foot soldiers are struggling to get the numbers.
This was connected to the reason the Senate on Wednesday deferred the motion to Thursday, March 20, 2025.
The sources said many federal lawmakers remain unconvinced about the legality of Tinubu’s action.
An insider said the lawmakers believe Tinubu’s emergency in Rivers state could set a dangerous precedent in the country with many lawmakers divided along party lines.
However, there are some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who are wary of endorsing Tinubu’s emergency rule.
Rivers emergency rule: Failure to secure a two-thirds majority
Should President Tinubu fail to secure a two-thirds majority in both chambers to approve the emergency rule by Thursday, March 20, 2025, he will be forced to revoke his proclamation, effectively restoring Fubara and his administration.
