There are allegations that the leadership of the Senate and the House of Representatives have concluded plans to use voice votes to secure the approval of the chambers for the State of Emergency recently declared by President Bola Tinubu in Rivers State.
DAILY POST reports that the red chamber on Wednesday differed a motion to approve the proclamation of a State of Emergency till the next legislative date after stepping down a motion sponsored by Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele.
A two-third majority votes must be achieved for the National Assembly to approve the proclamation.
An activist lawyer, Deji Adeyanju earlier raised an alarm alleging that the president of the Nigerian Senate, Godswill Akpabio was planning to use voice votes to secure the approval.
“URGENT INFO FROM A SENATOR: There is an urgent need to let Nigerians know that both Akpabio and Abass plan to use voice vote this morning to pass the emergency vote”, he posted on his Facebook page.
According to the lawyer, such would be “contrary to the 1999 Constitution as amended which stipulates 2/3rd votes”.
Similarly, a popular Nigerian businessman, Atedo Peterside said in a post on his official X handle that a “two-thirds majority cannot be achieved via a voice vote”.
According to him, “on the Rivers State Crisis, all eyes are on the National Assembly. A two-thirds majority cannot be achieved via a voice vote.
“Members voting for or against the Resolution to ratify the President’s Emergency actions must identify themselves and cast their votes individually”.
Also, a famous socio-political activist, Aisha Yesufu said in a post on her X handle that it must be achieved through physical counting with names of the lawmakers.
She urged Nigerians to call their “senators and House of Representatives members and tell them to vote with their full chest!
“They cannot nay and yay their way out of this one.
“A two-third is needed and a two-third has to be counted physically and their names written”.