Senators divided by request for extended emergency rule

The Senate suspended consideration of President Goodluck Jonathan’s letter requesting the extension of a state of emergency  in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe.

The mood among a section of the senate changed shortly after Victor Ndoma-Egbe, the senate leader, introduced the motion on Tuesday.

Some of the senators were obviously against another extension of the emergency in the region.

Attempts by David Mark, the senate president, to ensure the consideration of the letter was loudly rebuffed by voice vote.

At that point, Ndoma-Egba invoked Rule 40 and moved a motion for a closed-session, compelling visitors and journalists at the chamber to leave.

Addressing reporters after the closed session, Bello Tukur, the deputy chairman, senate committee on information, said nothing concrete was achieved from the session.

“The senate has adjourned the sitting till tomorrow to consider the letter for the extension of state of emergency in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe from Mr President, Goodluck Jonathan,” he said.

The state of emergency earlier declared in the region elapsed on November 16.

On his part, Ali Ndume, the senator representing PDP Borno, told journalists that another extension of a state of emergency should not have been contemplated by the president.

“The situation in the northeast region of the country had remained the same even after two of such extensions; so what gives us the conviction that a state of emergency is the solution to the problem,” Ndume said.