President Goodluck Jonathan Tuesday urged the Senate to ratify the emergency rule he declared in some parts of Borno, Yobe, Plateau and Niger States on December 30, 2011.

In a letter to the Senate President in which he forwarded the gazette copy of the State of Emergency (Certain Local Governments Areas) Proclamation, 2012, he urged the senators to consider and approve the gazette in line with the provisions of Section 305 (2) of the 1999 Constitution.

According to the letter dated January 6, 2012, the president said "the main features of the emergency declaration are: the declaration of state of emergency in 15 local government areas in the federation; the continuation of administrative structure in the affected local governments to carry out any order, instruction or regulation as may be issued by me from time to time during the period of emergency; and the closure of national borders contiguous to the affected Local Government Areas".

Also Tuesday, the President forwarded the name of Hon. Omolola Abiola-Edewor for confirmation as an executive director the National Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC).

The Senate President also swore in Senators George Thompson Sekibo (PDP, Rivers) and Abdulazeez Sadiq Yar'Adua (CPC, Katsina).

While Sekibo was returned via a re-run election in his senatorial district last week, Yar'Adua replaces his fellow party man, Ahmed Sani Stores who was asked to vacate his seat by a court ruling, which recognised Yar'Adua as the legitimate candidate of the party in last year's senatorial election in his constituency.