Tensions flared in the House of Representatives on Tuesday as lawmakers engaged in heated arguments over a series of motions of urgent national importance, prompting the suspension of plenary and a resort to a closed-door meeting.
The drama unfolded when legislators disagreed over which committee should handle the investigation into alleged illegal land allocations at the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex.
The disagreement, which started as a procedural argument, quickly escalated into a row that disrupted proceedings.
The motion, raised by Ademorin Kuye, the member representing Somolu Federal Constituency of Lagos State, sought the House’s approval to mandate the Committee on Public Assets to probe what he described as “rampant illegal allocations within the trade fair complex.” Kuye, who also chairs the committee, insisted the issue fell squarely within its jurisdiction.
However, Francis Waive, representing Delta State and chair of the House Committee on Rules and Business, challenged the motion, arguing that the matter should be directed to the Committee on Commerce instead.
His stance was backed by Akwa Ibom lawmaker, Mark Esset, who said, “This is clearly a commercial issue, and it falls under the purview of the Commerce Committee.”
Countering their position, Plateau lawmaker Yusuf Gagdi maintained that the Public Assets Committee was best equipped to handle the probe.
“We are talking about assets of the federal government, not trade regulation. The Public Assets Committee should take the lead,” Gagdi said.
In an attempt to quell the rising tension, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, who presided over the session, advised the House to consider an ad-hoc committee combining members from both Public Assets and Commerce to jointly investigate the allegations.
But when the proposal was put to a voice vote, the chamber descended into confusion as lawmakers’ responses came in nearly equal measure.
Kalu ruled in favour of the “nays,” a decision that further infuriated some members and triggered a wave of protests across the floor.
The atmosphere worsened when subsequent motions suffered similar fates. A security-related motion sponsored by Mohammed Bio from Kwara State, which sought the establishment of a military base in violence-prone parts of Baruten and Kaima constituencies, was overwhelmingly rejected by members.
According to one visibly frustrated lawmaker, the rejection appeared deliberate.
“You could tell from their reaction that many members were no longer interested in debating issues objectively,” the legislator told reporters after the session.
When another motion, raised by Oyo lawmaker Ayodeji Alao-Akala, sought to address Nigeria’s classification as a “Country of Particular Concern” by U.S. President Donald Trump, Kalu decided to approve it despite audible opposition, further heightening the tension.
As dissenting voices filled the chamber, the Deputy Speaker abruptly suspended proceedings and called for a closed-door session to restore calm.
A senior legislative aide later disclosed that the chaos was fueled by political undercurrents and unresolved grievances among members.
“There’s growing discontent over how motions are handled, and today’s session simply brought everything to the surface,” the aide said.
The House is expected to reconvene after the closed-door meeting to resume consideration of pending motions, though it remains uncertain whether normalcy has been fully restored.