NIGERIA: Reps Speaker Unveils 21-Member Committee To Legislate For Rivers Assembly, Vows Non-Partisan Approach

By Onoja Baba, Nigeria

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, has inaugurated a 21-member ad-hoc committee to temporarily take over the legislative responsibilities of the suspended Rivers State House of Assembly.

The inauguration ceremony, which took place on Sunday at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja, brought together lawmakers drawn from Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.

Speaker Abbas described the inauguration as a national duty driven by the need for stability, peace, and governance in the oil-rich state.

“This is not a political mission. This is a call to protect the sanctity of democracy and ensure good governance in Rivers State,” Abbas declared while addressing members of the committee.

The 21-member committee will be chaired by House Leader, Prof Julius Ihonvbere, a seasoned lawmaker from Edo State, while Hon. Ali Isah (PDP, Gombe) will serve as the deputy chairman.

Other prominent members of the committee include Hon. Idris Wase (North Central), Hon. Aliyu Muktar (North East), Hon. Sada Soli (North West), Hon. Iduma Igariwey (South East), and Hon. Shehu Rijau (North Central). Also listed are Hon. Wole Oke, Hon. Akaraha Amadi, Hon. Patrick Umoh, and Hon. Isa Anka, among others.

However, the representative of the South West, Hon. James Faleke, was notably absent due to unavoidable circumstances.

The committee’s establishment follows weeks of political unrest and constitutional uncertainty in Rivers State, where internal crises within the state assembly led to its suspension.

President Tinubu’s intervention, including the issuance of an emergency proclamation, paved the way for the National Assembly to step in temporarily to avert a legislative vacuum.

Speaker Abbas emphasized that the committee’s tenure will remain strictly transitional and issue-based, warning against any attempt by appointees or state administrators to usurp legislative powers.