The Nigerian House of Representatives erupted into pandemonium on Tuesday during a plenary session presided over by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, as lawmakers rejected multiple motions of urgent public importance amid external disruptions by unpaid contractors barricading the National Assembly entrance.
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The session, focused on critical issues including the protection of lives and key government assets, quickly spiraled out of control. It began with a motion by Ademorin Kuye, the All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmaker representing Somolu Federal Constituency in Lagos State and Chairman of the House Committee on Public Assets. Kuye raised alarms over the alleged illegal allocation of lands within the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex, urging the House to refer the matter to his committee for investigation.
Delta State lawmaker Francis Waive, Chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business, proposed an amendment, arguing that the Committee on Commerce was better suited to handle the probe, a view backed by Akwa Ibom’s Mark Esset. Plateau State’s Yusuf Gagdi countered, insisting that the Public Assets Committee should lead the investigation.
With the debate intensifying, Nasarawa’s Gbefwi Gaza moved for the formation of an ad-hoc committee combining members of both committees. A voice vote followed, but with nearly equal support from both sides and unclear results, Kalu ruled against the proposal, triggering immediate unrest in the chamber.
Tensions escalated further with subsequent motions. Kwara State’s Mohammed Bio decried deteriorating security in his constituency and called for military bases in crisis-prone zones, only for the House to reject the motion. Oyo State’s Ayodeji Alao-Akala raised a motion concerning U.S. President Donald Trump’s designation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern,” which Kalu controversially allowed to pass amid open defiance. The plenary was then suspended for a closed-door session.
External factors compounded the discord: unpaid contractors protesting the Federal Government’s failure to settle debts under the 2024 and 2025 budgets had barricaded the National Assembly gates, vowing a seven-day blockade. Their action contributed to the rejection of four urgent motions during the session.
Emerging from the executive session, the House Minority Leader tabled a motion highlighting the persistent non-implementation of the 2024–2025 budgets and the hardships faced by contractors. “Contractors our brothers and sisters are at the gate protesting that they have not been paid for jobs executed since 2024,” he said, adding that directives from President Bola Tinubu to prioritize payments had not been implemented.
In response, the House issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, and the Accountant General of the Federation to clear all outstanding contractor debts and fully commence 2025 budget implementation.
Zamfara’s Kabiru Maipalace then moved for a one-week adjournment of plenary until payment compliance was confirmed. Waive supported the motion, noting that ongoing contractor protests made access to the Assembly impossible. The House unanimously adopted the adjournment, shelving all remaining items and directing leadership to engage the executive. Plenary is now scheduled to reconvene next week, pending resolution of the contractors’ grievances.
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