Rowdy Session in House of Representatives as Lawmakers Clash Over Motion to Summon Tinubu
The House of Representatives witnessed a tense and rowdy plenary on Tuesday as lawmakers engaged in heated arguments over the alleged non-funding of constituency projects across Nigeria.
The debate began after Hon. Alex Mascot Ikwechegh, the lawmaker representing Aba North/Aba South Federal Constituency of Abia State, presented a motion expressing concern over delays in the release of funds for constituency projects. He argued that the situation had negatively affected the execution of development projects in various constituencies and called for urgent intervention.
During the deliberation, a proposal emerged seeking to invite President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to appear before the House and explain the continued funding challenges affecting constituency projects nationwide.
The motion received support from some lawmakers, while another member proposed an amendment suggesting that the House suspend legislative activities for one week until the issue was adequately addressed.
However, the proposals immediately sparked disagreement within the chamber.
Hon. Yusuf Gagdi strongly opposed the call to summon the President, maintaining that responsibility for implementing and funding constituency projects rests with the relevant ministries, departments, and government agencies rather than the President directly. He also rejected the suggestion that the House should suspend its sitting, describing the proposal as unnecessary.
His position drew strong objections from several opposition lawmakers, resulting in a noisy exchange of arguments across the chamber. The disagreement escalated into a rowdy session as members shouted over one another while attempting to defend their respective positions.
As tensions rose, Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, intervened to restore order. He directed lawmakers to resolve the matter through a vote in line with parliamentary procedures.
After reviewing the submissions, the Speaker ruled that the request to invite President Tinubu was out of order, explaining that it was not contained in the original motion presented by Hon. Alex Mascot Ikwechegh.
The ruling effectively set aside the proposal to summon the President, allowing the House to proceed with consideration of the substantive motion on constituency project funding.
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The debate underscores growing concerns among federal lawmakers over the pace of funding and implementation of constituency projects, which many legislators say are critical to delivering infrastructure and development initiatives to their constituencies.
