Isaac Samuel
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, Tuesday inaugurated a 21-member ad-hoc committee mandated to provide legislative oversight on the administration of Rivers State during the ongoing six-month state of emergency.
The committee, according to Abbas, was constituted in line with Section 11(4) of the 1999 Constitution, following the suspension of the state’s Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, and the House of Assembly, and the subsequent installation of a caretaker government led by Rear Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (rtd).
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had on March 18, 2025, declared a state of emergency in Rivers State. The President cited the breakdown of law and order and threats to peace and governance.
The National Assembly, at a plenary session after deliberations, approved the proclamation with amendments aimed at ensuring democratic safeguards.
Speaking at the committee’s inauguration at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja, Abbas observed that the intervention was not politically motivated but a constitutional response to a governance vacuum in the state.
He charged members of the committee to discharge their duties with impartiality, professionalism and utmost diligence.
Members of the committee include House Leader, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere as chairman.
Other members of the committee include Idris Wase, Muktar Betara, Sada Soli, Isiaka Ibrahim, Abiodun Faleke, Amos Daniel, Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu, and Blessing Onuh. Also named are Iduma Igariwey, Shehu Rijau, Oluwole Oke, Etinosa Amadi, Patrick Umoh, James Barka, Alex Egbona, Isa Anka, and Fatima Talba
Abbas also recalled similar interventions in Plateau (2004), Ekiti (2006), and the North-East states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe in 2013, noting that in all cases, the National Assembly stepped in to safeguard constitutional order.
He said: “Today’s inauguration of the 21-member Ad-Hoc Committee on Rivers State reaffirms our constitutional commitment to transparent governance. Empowered by Section 5 of the State of Emergency (Rivers State) Proclamation 2025 and pursuant to Section 11(4) of our Constitution, this Committee has a clear and non-partisan mandate.
“Its purpose is to monitor the implementation of federal directives and policies in Rivers State, ensure that the caretaker administration adheres to the law, and protect the public interest while facilitating the re-establishment of full democratic governance in the state.
“The sensitivity and gravity of this assignment cannot be overemphasised. The state of emergency in Rivers State has generated widespread interest across the nation, and the eyes of all Nigerians are upon us as they await to see if the National Assembly can live up to the high expectations placed upon it..
“Therefore, the task before this Committee is not routine; it is a mission of national significance that will serve as a litmus test for our commitment to democratic principles and constitutional governance. The importance of the assignment places a considerable burden on the Chairman and all members, as every action taken will be subject to national scrutiny.
The speaker explained that members of this Committee have been selected with meticulous care by the House leadership based on their integrity, experience, and steadfast dedication to the national interest.
ALSO READ ADC woos Jonathan as Mark, Atiku insist on primaries Isaac Samuel The race to the 2027 presidency took a dramatic turn this week as the African Democratic Congress (ADC) intensified efforts to lure former President Goodluck Jonathan into its fold. Jonathan, it was gathered is also taking decisive moves to reset opposition strategy and mount a formidable challenge against President Bola Tinubu. The former President held a closed-door meeting held in Abuja on Thursday with ADC National Chairman, Senator David Mark. Jonathan, who publicly met with politicians and party leaders for the first time since his rumoured bid to return to power, met the ADC stakeholders at the home of Mark. Seen in a viral video as he walked into the expansive residence of the former Senate President in Abuja, others with Mark were former Minister of Sports and ADC spokesperson, Malam Bolaji Abdullahi as well as a former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, among others. Sources claimed the former president has begun consultations ahead of the 2027 polls following increasing pressure to get in the ring and ‘save’ the nation. But it was learnt that the former President's bid to return to Aso Rock on the platform of the opposition coalition may have hit an early stumbling block. At Thursday’s meeting, Mark was said to have told the former president in clear terms that the only path to the party’s presidential ticket was through the front door by formally joining the party and submitting himself to a transparent primary election. Unable to secure any guarantees, Jonathan and Mark agreed to meet again soon to review the situation. It was learnt that the ADC is moving to draft Jonathan into the race beccause he is seen as a compromise candidate, but his strong base used to be the South-East which is now the political fortress of Obi. But Jonathan is not alone in seeking assurances. Both former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, are also pressing the ADC leadership for firm commitments before they take the plunge. The party’s new leadership, however, has refused to make such promises, a development that explains why all three leading contenders are still holding back from declaring for the party. For them, early commitment without certainty could prove politically fatal. Aligning with the ADC and then losing its ticket could leave any of the trio stranded and without a viable political vehicle ahead of 2027. Obi has consistently insisted that power must remain in the South for equity, even pledging to serve a single term if elected. But his camp remains opposed to any vice-presidential offer, warning that such a move would be politically suicidal after his strong showing in 2023. For Atiku, who resigned from the PDP in July, the plan is to complete ongoing grassroots mobilisation before formally collecting his ADC membership card in Adamawa. While Atiku insists he is ready for an open primary, his increasing influence within ADC backed by significant political investments is fuelling fears that the presidential ticket may already be tilted in his favour. That dynamic, party figures say, could force Jonathan and Obi to reconsider their strategies. Meanwhile, the ADC leadership is trying to project unity. After a caucus meeting in Abuja attended by Mark, Atiku, former governors Nasir El-Rufai, Aminu Tambuwal and Rotimi Amaechi, the party directed all undecided members to resign from their existing parties. Peter Obi, a member of the coalition party, had yet to disclaim his membership of Labour Party (LP). Atiku is also yet to get his ADC membership even though he has resigned from PDP. National Publicity Secretary of ADC, Bolaji Abdullahi, disclosed the new directive while addressing journalists in Abuja, after a caucus meeting attended by top party leaders and political figures. Abdullahi said, “Though final order has been given to all members to resign membership of other political parties, the caucus was silent on the timeline.” The caucus also announced that all issues concerning African Democratic Association (ADA) had been concluded. According to Abdullahi, “The coalition has rested everything concerning the ADA. That means they are not interested in the registration or otherwise of the association.” On the 2027 presidential race, Abdullahi said ADC’s presidential aspirants had agreed to back whoever emerged winner of the primaries. “All the presidential aspirants have agreed to support whoever wins the primaries election,” he stated. The ADC spokesman further revealed that the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) would soon announce dates for primaries in Osun and Ekiti states ahead of the off-cycle governorship elections in both states. Those present at the meeting included National Chairman, David Mark; former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; National Secretary, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai; former Sokoto State Governor, Senator Aminu Tambuwal; and former Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Amaechi.
He told the members that they have been entrusted with the heavy responsibility of justifying the confidence reposed in them by the entire nation.
Abbas charged them to approach the assignment with the highest standards of professionalism, impartiality, and diligence.
“Honourable colleagues, the National Assembly’s intervention in Rivers State is not an instrument of political vendetta but a constitutional necessity.
“It embodies our collective duty to safeguard peace, security, and the rule of law. We act not out of partisan interests but in the earnest service of a united and prosperous Nigeria. The eyes of all Nigerians are upon us, and it is incumbent upon this House, particularly on the Chairman and all members of this esteemed Committee, to rise to this historic challenge with courage, integrity, and determination”, he added.
