Who be di House of Reps members wey go begin do Rivers House of Assembly work

Di National Assembly don inaugurate adhoc - committee wey go make laws in place of di suspended Rivers State House of Assembly members.

Speaker of di House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, inaugurate di 21 member committee for di National Assembly for Abuja on Tuesday.

During di inauguration of di 21-man committee, Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas tell di panel say dia mandate na to dey non-partisan.

Im add say na a call to make laws wey go ensure good governance, bring peace, and prosperity for Rivers State.

Im tok say "Your task na to oversee Rivers State following Mr President emergency proclamation. You no suppose dey partisan or bias."

Who be di members of dis committee

Di House of Representatives for inside statement bin list di names of members of dis committee.

Tok-tok pesin for di House, Akin Rotimi, for di statement bin tok say na sake of di presidential proclamation wey dem bring come di dormot of National Assembly, na why dem duly subject am to serious legislative consideration.

Dem bin also amend am to strengthen democratic safeguards and to uphold di principles of checks and balances.

"One of di most consequential amendments na di designation of di National Assembly – instead of di Federal Executive Council – to be di oversight authority for all regulations dem issue under di emergency arrangement.

"In line wit Section 5 of di State of Emergency (Rivers State) Proclamation, 2025, and pursuant to Section 11(4) of di Constitution of di Federal Republic of Nigeria, di House don constitute a dedicated ad-hoc committee to monitor implementation and to make sure say governance for state remain witin di bounds of constitutionalism and rule of law," part of di statement tok.

According to di statement, members of di House of Reps wey make up di adhoc committee na:

House leader, Prof Julius Ihonvbere na di chairman while minority Whip, Isa Ali go act as di Deputy Chairman.

Other members of di committee na Isiaka Ibrahim, Idris Wase, Muktar Betara, and Sada Soli. Abiodun Faleke, Amos Daniel, Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu and Blessing Onuh.

Iduma Igariwey, Shehu Rijau, Oluwole Oke, Etinosa Amadi, Patrick Umoh. James Barka, Alex Egbona, Isa Anka and Fatima Talba.

Dis move dey constitutional?

BBC Pidgin tok to Barr Opatola Victor wey say under di Nigerian Constitution, Section 11(4) give di National Assembly power to step in and make laws for a State only wen di House of Assembly of di State no fit perform dia functions.

But dat same section end wit an important condition. Di condition make am clear say dis power no extend to di removal of a State Governor or Deputy Governor.

Im add say dis clause look like say na minor tin, but e deep. "E define di limit of di National Assembly, wia dia power reach. E aslo signal say di provision no dey designed to function in di absence of a valid and functioning executive authority for di State."

Section 11(4) presume say di Govnor and Deputy Govnor still dey office, still dey validly elected, dem still dey perform dia roles, and still dey available to give effect to whatever laws di National Assembly fit temporarily enact on behalf of di State Assembly.

Na why di Constitution draw line: legislate if you must, in di interest of peace and order, but you no go fit go beyond dat line.

"You no go fit interfere wit di executive leadership of di State. No be your territory. No be your role." Im add.

Section 305 and Section 11(4)

Barrister Opatola say if you put 11(4) side by side wit Section 305 of di Constitution, wey gives di President power to declare a state of emergency for a State, wit di approval of di National Assembly.

Ordinarily, dem no even make di power to use am sweep away elected Govnors or dissolve elected State Assemblies.

Di Constitution no tok say, anywia, wey dem make declaration under Section 305 automatically mean say di elected officials must be removed or suspended.

Di pipo wey wey frame am no intend for dat provision to be used to override di pipo mandate or erase di constitutional structure of a State.

But practice don take a different turn. For Rivers State, dem use di emergency powers under Section 305 in a way wey completely displace di elected Govnor and dissolve di House of Assembly.

Dem come appoint administrator to replace dem. Whatever di justification for dat move fit be dat time, di implications for di Constitution dey profound.

Once di entire constitutional structure of a State—both legislature and executive—dey suspended, we no dey di territory of Section 11(4).

Dat provision don become irrelevant, no be becos di words change, but becos di veri foundation—di assumptions—no dey exist anymore.

Dem build Section 11(4) on di idea say di State still get govnor and a Deputy govnor in place, di State still dey stand in some form, and di National Assembly dey merely step in to hold up one arm of di structure.

But wen di entire structure no dey again—wen dem don effectively take ova and dem don dey run am under emergency protocols—no room dey again for Section 11(4) to operate.

Di purpose don disappear. Di jurisdiction don vanish. Di mechanism don become useless.

Wetin lead to di State of Emergency for Rivers State

State of Emergency land for Rivers State afta di suspended govnor Siminialayi Fubara and di suspended Rivers State House of Assembly members no gree for each oda.

Afta di Supreme Court give judgement wey order govnor Siminialayi Fubara to re-present di 2025 budget , di Assembly members no allegedly allow am present di budget again.

Immediately di Supreme Court judgement recognise di House of Assembly members as di authentic lawmakers for di state, dem give Fubara a total of 48 hours to present di budget.

Govnor Fubara later ready ton present di budget but di Assembly members say dem no receive any official letter from am.

For one video wey bin go viral, govnor Fubara bin dey complain as dem lock di gate of di Assembly quarters wia di house dey seat so dat im no go fit enta.

For di video, im also tok say im bin write to dem to imform dem sayb im dey come, im even reach out to di Speaker, Martin Amaewhule but yet dem no want am to present di budget.

Later, tori come out say two pipeline explode for di state, report wey police deny and say dem still dey investigate - na dis explosion tori make President Bola Tinubu para well-well.

E no reach better 24 hours na im President Bola Tinubu announce State of Emergency for Rivers State for live television broadcast.

For di broadcast im announce di suspension of di Govnor, Deputy Govnor and House of Assembly members for six months.

Even though many sabi pipo bin condemn di declaration of State of Emergency wey President Bola Tinubu declare for Rivers State, di national assembly ratify di emergency rule.

Dem agree say President Bola Tinubu do di right tin for di interest of public peace and order.