Copyright leadership
The plenary session of the House of Representatives on Tuesday descended into chaos after members clashed over several motions of urgent public importance bordering on national security and the protection of public assets. Presided over by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, the heated session turned rowdy, forcing lawmakers into a closed-door meeting to restore order. The uproar began when member representing Somolu Federal Constituency, Lagos State, Ademorin Kuye, raised a motion on the alleged illegal allocation of lands within the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex. Kuye, who chairs the House Committee on Public Assets, urged the House to mandate his committee to investigate the matter. However, Chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business, Francis Waive, opposed the motion, arguing that the Committee on Commerce, not Public Assets, should handle the probe. Waive was supported by Akwa Ibom lawmaker Mark Esset, while Plateau lawmaker Yusuf Gagdi backed Kuye’s position. Amid the disagreement, Nasarawa lawmaker Gbefwi Gaza proposed an ad-hoc committee combining members of both committees. When put to a voice vote, the result was inconclusive, prompting Kalu to rule in favor of the nays — a decision that sparked unrest in the chamber. The tension worsened when subsequent motions on insecurity and national image were also rejected. Kwara lawmaker Mohammed Bio’s motion seeking a military base in violence-prone areas of his constituency was voted down, while another by Ayodeji Alao-Akala on Nigeria’s designation as a “Country of Particular Concern” by the United States also met resistance. Sensing rising tempers, Kalu suspended the plenary for a closed-door session. More details soon…
