PDP senator: How Akpabio ‘silenced’ lawmakers who opposed Tinubu’s Emergency rule

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senator representing Bayelsa West, Seriake Dickson, has narrated part of the behind-the-scene incidents during the session where the senate debated the emergency rule President Bola Tinubu declared in Rivers State. The declaration had sparked a huge controversy as lawyers, human rights activists, politicians, among others criticised it, especially the part […]

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senator representing Bayelsa West, Seriake Dickson, has narrated part of the behind-the-scene incidents during the session where the senate debated the emergency rule President Bola Tinubu declared in Rivers State.

The declaration had sparked a huge controversy as lawyers, human rights activists, politicians, among others criticised it, especially the part of replacing an elected governor with a sole Administrator.

Tinubu had suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara and members of the Rivers House of Assembly for six months.

While majority of the commentators were divided on the need for state of emergency, many condemned the suspension of elected officials in two arms of government, calling on the National Assembly to oppose the president.

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But both the senate and House of Representatives approved it through voice vote.

Responding, the president described the lawmakers as patriots while Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, Presidential Candidate of the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) in the last election, described the 10th assembly as rubber stamp.

In a statement, Dickson, who walked out of the red chamber before the Senate approved the president’s proclamation, said senators who resisted the move were prevented from openly debating the issue during plenary.

The senator, a former Bayelsa governor, listed Senators Aminu Tambuwal, Eyinnaya Abaribe and a few others, among his colleagues who were shut out because of their position on the issue.

His altercation with Senate President, Godswill Akpabio during plenary while the matter was being considered, went viral on social media.

He said he intended to meet the Senate President to formally express “my displeasure and prevent a recurrence”.

Dickson said though both chambers of the National Assembly have ratified the president’s declaration, the judiciary could still intervene.

He said the Senate is a meeting of equals and none of the legislators needs the permission of the senate president to express an opinion in an interview on a topical matter of national interest that is in the public domain.

His statement reads: “Today at the sitting of the Senate, the issue of the President’s proclamation of a state of emergency in Rivers State came up for discussion and as I have stated repeatedly, I raised my objections in the closed session on how the declaration fell short of constitutional prescription, based on my view as a Democrat, sworn to uphold the Nigerian constitution.

“The Senate did not undertake the debate in an open session however, it was quite robust. I want to thank Sen. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal for his strong support of the unconstitutionality of the declaration, especially the aspect that deals with the suspension of the elected officials of the Rivers State government.

“At the end of the day, the majority of the senators supported the proclamation as no room was given for an open debate at plenary. I left the plenary before the Senate President was directed to report the outcome because I didn’t want to be present while what I opposed was being reported. I believe Senator Tambuwal, Senator Abaribe and others equally left too.

“I want to make it clear that as I stated repeatedly, I spoke and voted against the proclamation in our closed session, supported by Senator Aminu Tambuwal and a few other senators who were not recognized to speak. And so I want to thank all the senators who shared the view that I vigorously canvassed.

“I am however aware of the efforts made to modify the declaration as a result of the concerns and views we have expressed and canvassed the past few days. Though I acknowledge the effort being made by the leadership and President to moderate the terms of the declaration and to create a mechanism for oversight, theoretically this does not counter the primary issue of constitutionality.

“The beauty of democracy is such that the minority will have their say while the majority their way. I would have wished for a more robust and open debate so that all views and opinions can be openly canvassed as I requested even at the closed session specifically and thereafter, the majority can have their way but as it is, both chambers have decided and the ball is now on the court of the other arms of government, especially the judiciary, in the event of any challenge.

“My attention has also been drawn to a viral video showing parts of the unfortunate exchanges between the Senate President and I before we dissolved into the closed session.

:”As I said on the floor, the Senate President was very unfair to me by trying to censor my freedom of expression and by deliberately misrepresenting the import of what I said in the broadcast yesterday which was the same thing I said on the floor today. It is my opposition in principle to the declaration of a state of emergency, as well as the suspension of elected officials.

“I thank all those who have called to commend my composure under unnecessary and unexpected attempts at intimidation. Everyone, including the Senate President, knows I have long gone beyond that stage in my life.

“The Senate as I said is a meeting of equals and everyone should be respected just as we accord respect to the Chair. No senator needs the permission of the senate president to express an opinion in an interview on a topical matter of national interest that is in the public domain.

“I intend to meet the Senate President to formally express my displeasure, to prevent a reoccurrence. I thank my constituents, Nigerians and all people of goodwill who have called to express solidarity and urge them not to be dismayed at the direction our democracy appears to have taken.

“For someone like me who has been in the trenches over the years, all these challenges are actually a call to duty and I therefore implore all people of goodwill to come together and ensure that participatory democracy is promoted in our country. Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Rivers State.”

Daily Trust reports that the Senate approved the emergency rule after a closed-door session which lasted over one hour.

Earlier, he had disagreed with Akpabio over a point of order which required the Nigerian president to brief the Senate in a closed-door session on the circumstances necessitating a state of emergency.