No ‘Yes Or No” Voice Vote – Peterside Tells NASS

The founder of the Anap Foundation, Atedo Peterside, has called on the members of the National Assembly to uphold a transparent voting system as they vote to ratify President Bola Tinubu’s state of emergency in Rivers State.

Naija News reported that Ikwuano-Umuahia federal constituency lawmaker, Obi Aguocha, faulted the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and members of the House of Assembly.

According to Aguocha, a Labour Party lawmaker, the Supreme Court, in 2013, in the case of Plateau State, stated that even in a state of emergency, the democratic structure of a state cannot be removed or suspended.

“Section 305 does not give him, in my view, I’m not a lawyer, but in my view as a common sense legislator, I don’t think Section 305 gives the President that mandate to go beyond the declaration of a state of emergency.

“Section 188 of the Constitution stipulates the manners in which a governor or a deputy governor, in this case Governor Fubara and his deputy, can be removed from office through an impeachment process or death,” he said.

In a statement, on his 𝕏 handle, Peterside urged the National Assembly to shun the yes or no voting system for transparency.

“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,” he wrote.