Eyebrows raised over Reps’ move to oversee Rivers State affairs

In the latest twist in Nigeria’s ever-dramatic political theatre, the House of Representatives has stepped into the Rivers State saga with the kind of grand gesture that fuels debates.

The Green Chamber inaugurated a 21-member ad-hoc committee to “oversee” affairs in the troubled state, specifically the State House of Assembly and, more curiously, the activities of a newly-installed Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.). The House went further to summon the sole Administrator to discuss state of affairs in the state.

It’s not every day that the federal legislature steps into a state’s backyard, and it’s certainly not every day a sitting governor is suspended. Currently, Rivers State does not have a functioning House of Assembly. The state is being run under an emergency rule declared by President Bola Tinubu, an action that drew sharp criticism.The House of Representatives is wading in further, armed with Section 11(4) of the Constitution, a provision meant for states whose legislative bodies have ceased to function.

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Abbas Tajudeen, Speaker of the House, explained the rationale as a matter of constitutional duty. With the governor suspended, the Assembly dissolved, and emergency rule in place, the National Assembly, he said, has a “responsibility” to step in to make laws and keep the wheel turning. He also asked the Sole Administrator to report directly to the National Assembly for legislative approvals, effectively turning the House into a substitute state legislature for the time being.

While charging the committee with its oversight role, Abbas added that the administrator, Vice Admiral Ibas, is now expected to report to the National Assembly for legislative approvals.

But not everyone is buying the House’s arguement. Obioma Ezenwobodo, Managing Partner, Resolution Attorneys, and Executive Director, Policy & Legislative Advocacy Network (PLAN), isn’t just raising an eyebrow, he’s raising a full-throated constitutional objection. According to him, what the House is doing is “an extension of the prevailing and manifest illegality unraveling in the state.”

“The action of the House of Representatives creating a committee to oversee the Rivers State Assembly is an extension of the prevailing and manifest illegality unraveling in that State. The essence of section 11 (4) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as altered) on which it is basing its powers to create such a committee or make legislative interventions is unfounded and misapplied” he said.

“The act of the House of Representatives in overseeing the actions and activities of the illegal Sole Administrator in Rivers State is tantamount to aiding and abetting the continued rape of democracy in Rivers State. The whole situation is riddled with absurdities as it is otiose and inconceivable for the National Assembly, which the House of Representatives belongs to, to make laws or pass a resolution to be assented to or implemented by the Sole Administrator”, he further said.

He believes that Section 11(4) is being twisted to suit a situation it was never meant for. The clause, he argued, was crafted to support democratic functions in states where the Assembly is temporarily paralysed, not where democracy itself has been put on pause with a Sole Administrator installed by fiat.

“A careful reading of the said section reveals that it is meant to be applicable in a democratic setting with the complement of a democratically elected Governor and not otherwise. The section envisages a legislative life-support provided by the National Assembly where a State House of Assembly is unable to perform its functions of making laws for a State in a democratic dispensation”, he argued.

Ezenwobodo insisted that even if the House genuinely believed it was stepping in for the good of Rivers State, Section 11(4) comes with clear red tape, including a provision that prohibits removing or sidelining a sitting governor or deputy governor. In this case, both have been swept aside, and a Sole Administrator has taken their place, a move he says violates the very spirit of the Constitution.

To Ezenwobodo, this whole arrangement is nothing short of a legal farce ,a political power grab dressed up as constitutional duty. Strong words, no doubt , but they reflect a growing unease among Nigerians watching the situation unfold.

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Rivers, one of Nigeria’s most politically vibrant and economically significant states, has seen its fair share of power tussles. But what’s playing out now feels like a kind of constitutional limbo where the rules seem to be rewritten on the fly. And while the House may argue that it’s merely stepping in to restore order, critics argue that it’s entrenching chaos under the guise of law.

As the House’s 21-man committee gets to work, the political temperature around Rivers continues to rise. Whether this intervention brings clarity or deepens the constitutional fog remains to be seen. But one thing is clear, this goes far beyond Rivers State.

The bigger question now looming over Abuja is whether this sets a new precedent, or merely exposes how fragile the balance of federal power in Nigeria truly is.

As the dust settles, critics have raised one question- is this a rescue mission, or a quiet takeover dressed in democratic robes?