Former Governor of Sokoto State, Senator Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, has insisted that the Senate failed to meet the constitutional two-thirds majority required to approve President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s proclamation of a state of emergency in Rivers State.
The Senate, in a closed session last Thursday, deliberated on the president’s proclamation and later approved it during plenary through a voice vote. However, Tambuwal, who represents Sokoto South in the 10th Senate, argued that the necessary two-thirds majority—73 out of 109 senators—was not met, thereby violating Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
“Section 305 of the Constitution is very clear and unambiguous on how a state of emergency should be declared and the legislative process required,” Tambuwal told Sunday Sun.
According to him, the Constitution mandates that at least two-thirds of the Senate or the House of Representatives must approve such a resolution.
“I observed that there were not enough senators present to meet the constitutional requirement. From what I saw, there was no such number on the floor on that day,” he said.
Tambuwal further criticized the National Assembly for failing to follow past precedents, citing previous emergency declarations under Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, which adhered strictly to constitutional requirements.
“What stops the current National Assembly from making reference to its own precedents that are in its records? I can’t understand that,” he remarked.
His statement raises questions about the legitimacy of the Senate’s approval and whether due process was followed in proclaiming a state of emergency in Rivers State.
