Constitution Requires National Assembly Approval For Rivers Emergency, Sen. Abaribe Says: “No One Wants Anarchy”

FORMER Minority Leader of the Senate, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, APGA, Abia South has said that the Constitution requires the National Assembly to approve the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State By President Bola Tinubu.

In an interview on Arise Television on Tuesday, Abaribe, when asked to speak on the role of the National Assembly following the declaration, said, “Well, I think the Constitution says very clearly that the National Assembly will have to approve it.

“And then, of course, if there’s any other regulation that needs to be made or anything else in line with the Constitution, that is what we will have to address in the National Assembly.”

On what the process entails, Abaribe said, “Well, the process will be that tomorrow, the Senate President and the Speaker will read the political commission and words.”

When asked if the process would involve a joint sitting of both chambers, he said: “I don’t think so. Joint sittings are usually held only when we have to receive the budget.

“So, I think the deliberations will take place separately, and we will see what happens. Eventually, we must reach a consensus. No one wants a situation where there is anarchy in the country. Nobody wants that.

“I didn’t see it [coming]. I thought there was still a window to fix things—a window for a political settlement. But well, it has happened. We have to deal with it.”