REWIND: In 2014, reps rejected Jonathan’s request to extend emergency in three north-east states

The house of representatives declined President Goodluck Jonathan’s request for an extension of emergency rule in three north-east states in 2014.

On May 14, 2013, Jonathan declared a state of emergency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa as Boko Haram intensified its bombings, abductions, territorial seizures and killings.

The declaration sought to restore order and prevent the terrorist group from devastating large swathes of the region.

After the initial six-month period of the emergency elapsed on November 14, 2013, two subsequent six-month extensions were approved by the national assembly in November 2013 and May 2014.

However, Jonathan’s push for a third extension of the emergency measure was rebuffed by the green chamber in November 2014.

The request failed to secure the required two-thirds majority on November 20, effectively ending the 18-month emergency rule.

JUMPING FENCES

When the house convened to deliberate on Jonathan’s request, the session was anything but routine, and the entrance to the National Assembly Complex was fortified.

Security agents had blocked lawmakers from accessing the chamber, forcing some, including Aminu Tambuwal, the house speaker, to scale the fence of the complex into the chamber.

Once inside, the mood was tense. Lawmakers from the north-east were vocal in their opposition, with other lawmakers arguing that the emergency rule had exacerbated the insecurity in the region.

Police fired tear gas into the chamber following a clash with at least 200 supporters of Tambuwal who had been prevented from entering the building to vote.

HURDLE BEFORE TINUBU IN N’ASSEMBLY

On March 18, 2025, President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers following the protracted political crisis in the south-south state.

Tinubu also suspended Siminalayi Fubara, governor of the state, Ngozi Odu, his deputy, and all house of assembly members for six months.

For the emergency rule to take effect, section 305 (2) of the constitution states that the president must transmit the proclamation to the senate president and the speaker of the house of representatives.

There is a raging debate on where the president derived the power to suspend an elected governor as this is not expressly provided for in the 1999 constitution.

With 360 members in the green chamber and 109 in the red chamber, Tinubu needs at least 240 votes in the house of reps and 73 in the senate for his proclamation to stand.

On the contrary, it takes only 36 senators to defeat the proclamation.

Even if the senate passes it, 121 reps can vote it down.

Sources in the national assembly told TheCable that the president’s foot soldiers are struggling to get the numbers required for the Rivers emergency rule.