By The House of Representatives on Tuesday witnessed a dramatic and rowdy session as lawmakers clashed over multiple motions of urgent public importance, leading to an abrupt adjournment of plenary.
Presided over by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, the heated session saw members exchange words over issues bordering on national security and the management of public assets, forcing Kalu to call for a closed-door meeting to restore calm.
Tension first erupted when Hon.Ademorin Kuye (Somolu Federal Constituency, Lagos State) raised a motion drawing attention to 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, Hon. Francis Waive (Delta State), Chairman of the Rules and Business Committee, disagreed, arguing that the Committee on Commerce should take charge of the investigation since it involves commercial property. His stance was supported by Hon. Mark Esset (Akwa Ibom), who insisted that the matter clearly fell under the jurisdiction of the Commerce Committee.
In defense of his motion, Hon.Yusuf Gagdi (Plateau State) backed Kuye, maintaining that the Public Assets Committee should lead the probe into the alleged land sales and report back to the House.
As the debate dragged on with no resolution, Hon.Gbefwi Gaza (SDP, Nasarawa) proposed the creation of an ad-hoc committee to include members from both the Public Assets and Commerce Committees to jointly investigate the issue.
When Kalu subjected the proposal to a voice vote, the chamber appeared evenly split. Unable to determine the majority, Kalu ruled in favor of the nays a move that sparked loud protests and shouting across the floor.
The tension deepened when Hon.Mohammed Bio (Kwara State) moved a motion on rising insecurity in his constituency, calling for the military to establish a base in the affected communities. The motion was unexpectedly voted down, further fueling outrage among members.
Lawmakers again erupted when Hon.Ayodeji Alao-Akala raised a motion on Nigeria’s designation as a “Country of Particular Concern” by U.S. President Donald Trump. Despite visible opposition, Kalu ruled in favor of the motion, prompting fresh dissent and disorder.
Amid the uproar, Kalu suspended the plenary and directed members into closed-door session to calm the situation.
In a related development, proceedings were later adjourned abruptly following an urgent motion moved by Hon. Kingsley Chinda, over the Federal Government’s non-payment of contractors. The lawmaker warned that the government’s mounting debt to contractors was crippling service delivery and stalling development projects nationwide.
The motion drew bipartisan support, leading the House to suspend its sitting pending further deliberations on the matter
