Rat race: Assembly scale fence

Nigeria's Senate president has suspended legislative proceedings in the National Assembly until Tuesday following a lockout of members by the police.

Senate President David Mark announced the lockout after police fired tear gas to prevent the House of Representatives from convening. Members of parliament resorted to scaling parliament's gate to get inside.



Despite the tear gas, some lawmakers forced their way inside. Some opposition lawmakers shouted that President Goodluck Jonathan must be impeached.

The speaker of the House recently changed allegiance from the president's party to the main opposition party. Afterward the police withdrew his security clearance, triggering Thursday's standoff.

Thursday's parliament session had been convened to discuss Jonathan's request to extend the state of emergency in the country's northeast, where the armed group Boko Haram operates.

the real drama came at 10.48am when the convoy of the Speaker arrived at the complex. At the first gate, his convoy was accosted by hordes of police officers, but was allowed to go.

On getting to the main entrance, the nine-feet gate was locked by policemen. Tambuwal alighted from his car and beckoned on the police commissioner, but  was rebuffed.

He said: “My name is Rt. Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, the Speaker, House of Representatives, I want to talk to you”. The commissioner only smiled. As this was going on, some lawmakers and supporters of the Speaker were pushing the gate, threatening to pull it down. When the pressure became intense, Inalegwu opened the pedestrian gate and the Speaker walked into the complex. But scores of other lawmakers who were with him were not allowed entry. Hon Bimbo Daramola (APC, Ekiti) quickly scaled the gate. Other lawmakers and aides to the Speaker did the same.

Gaining access to the premises was not to mark the end of the drama. However, on approaching the entrance to the White House, the building housing the Chamber, some policemen fired some canisters of tear gas. This forced several people to scamper to safety.

Amid the tense situation, the Speaker made his way to the Chamber. Some minutes later, lawmakers joined him.

Senate President David Mark met with the Speaker and his Deputy, Emeka Ihedioha, for about seven minutes before the House went into executive session.

Addressing newsmen later, Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Hon Zakari Mohammed, accused those he called enemies of democracy of unleashing terror on members.

He said no amount of intimidation or threat would prevent the lawmakers from carrying out their legislative duties.

He said: “What we saw today (yesterday) was the enemy of democracy trying to prevent us from doing our job, but they failed.” He said the Speaker reconvened in line with the request of the President that the request for emergency rule extension should be treated expeditiously, wondering whether the executive expected the police to hold the session on the streets of Abuja.

On the outcome of the executive session, Mohammed said the House did not approve the request for an extension of the emergency. Instead, he said the chamber asked the President to make use of the Armed Forces Act which empowers him to deploy soldiers in troubled areas.