Senate Breaks Silence: Why Rivers Emergency Rule Was Approved Behind Closed Doors

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, has defended the Senate’s decision to deliberate on the emergency rule declared by President Bola Tinubu in Rivers State behind closed doors, stating that it aligns with the Upper Chamber’s procedural rules.

Speaking during a press briefing on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, about the midterm performance of the 10th Senate, Adaramodu addressed the criticisms surrounding the private session.

Critics had accused the Senate of secretly endorsing the emergency rule instead of conducting an open vote during plenary.

However, Adaramodu clarified that the Senate’s Standing Orders — specifically Rules 131, 132, and 134 — mandate that such matters be handled in executive sessions. “Once a decision is made in a closed-door session, it cannot be revisited during plenary,” he said.

He added, “Everyone nowadays acts like lawmakers or legal experts, questioning procedures they don’t understand. But our rules are unambiguous.”

According to him, the Senate spent three to four hours deliberating the matter behind closed doors. Once consensus was reached, the presiding officer returned to plenary and posed the formal question: “Do we affirm what was agreed in the closed session?” The chamber unanimously responded in the affirmative — no dissenting voices.