On March 21, 2025, Senator Ireti Kingibe, representing Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT) under the Labour Party, ignited a firestorm of debate with a detailed press release posted on X. In her statement, Kingibe vehemently opposed the National Assembly’s use of voice voting to ratify President Bola Tinubu’s recent declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, arguing that it violates the Nigerian Constitution’s requirement for a two-thirds majority vote, which must be accurately recorded through roll-call, division, or electronic voting.
The controversy stems from President Tinubu’s emergency proclamation on March 18, 2025, following a devastating blast to the Trans-Niger Pipeline in Rivers State, a key oil-producing region. According to Section 305(2) & (6)(b) of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended), such a proclamation requires approval by at least two-thirds of all members of both the Senate and the House of Representatives. Kingibe’s post, accompanied by a formal press release, asserts that voice votes—where lawmakers simply say “Aye” or “Nay”—cannot reliably measure this supermajority, undermining constitutional integrity and public accountability.