Emergency Rule: House reconvenes tomorrow

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, has called for the reconvening of the lower chamber on Thursday to consider the request of President Goodluck Jonathan to extend emergency rule in the beleaguered North-East states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe.

A notification by the office of the Speaker issued on Tuesday by his spokesperson, Imam Imam, said:  “On Tuesday, 18th November 2014, I received a communication from the President, Commander-in- Chief of the Armed Forces, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR, requesting for the extension of the existing State of Emergency in Adamawa , Borno and Yobe States by the House of Representatives.

“Pursuant to the powers conferred on me by Section 305 ( 2 ) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, which requires me to 'forthwith convene or arrange a meeting of the House' and in order to treat the extension before the expiration of the current State of Emergency in accordance with Section 305 (6) (c) of the Constitution, I hereby reconvene the House of Representatives.