By Lagos Panorama Political Desk
The plenary session of the House of Representatives on Tuesday descended into chaos after lawmakers rejected several motions of urgent public importance, sparking shouting matches and forcing a temporary suspension of proceedings.
Presided over by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, the tension began when Ademorin Kuye (APC, Somolu, Lagos), Chairman of the House Committee on Public Assets, raised a motion drawing attention to alleged illegal land allocations within the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex. Kuye prayed that the matter be referred to his committee for investigation.
However, the motion immediately triggered resistance. Francis Waive (APC, Delta), Chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business, argued that the issue fell under the jurisdiction of the Committee on Commerce, not Public Assets. He was backed by Mark Esset (PDP, Akwa Ibom), who maintained that “the Committee on Commerce should take responsibility for this matter.”
In defence, Yusuf Gagdi (APC, Plateau) supported Kuye, insisting that the Public Assets Committee was competent to probe the alleged land racketeering.
With the chamber divided, Gbefwi Gaza (SDP, Nasarawa) proposed an ad-hoc committee combining members of both Committees on Commerce and Public Assets to handle the investigation.
When the motion was subjected to a voice vote, the chamber erupted again as lawmakers were split down the middle. Unable to determine which side had more votes, Deputy Speaker Kalu ruled in favour of the nays — a decision that sparked loud protests and disorder on the floor.
The uproar worsened when Mohammed Bio (Kwara) moved a motion urging the military to establish a base in parts of his constituency plagued by insecurity. Lawmakers again voted against it, intensifying suspicions that members were deliberately frustrating proceedings.
Matters reached a boiling point when Ayodeji Alao-Akala (Oyo) presented a motion on Nigeria’s recent designation by U.S. President Donald Trump as a “Country of Particular Concern.” When Kalu ruled in favour of the motion despite loud opposition, lawmakers openly protested on the floor, creating a scene of chaos and confrontation.
With tensions spiraling, Deputy Speaker Kalu quickly called for a closed-door session to restore order and calm frayed nerves.
The Tuesday sitting is now being described by insiders as one of the most contentious sessions since the 10th National Assembly convened.
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