Budget padding: House of Reps in rowdy session

The House of Representatives was thrown into a rowdy session following what some suspect was an attempt to suspend Abdulmumin Jibrin.

Trouble started when the Chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business, Emmanuel Orker-jev, moved a motion on breach of his privilege and that of the House by the embattled former Chairman of the Appropriations Committee.

He said the house had come under heavy attack by the allegations.

At that point, Jibrin was observed to be walking around the chamber under the close watch of the sergeant-at-arms.

Members listened attentively until he got to the point where he mentioned Jibrin’s name; that was when members of the Transparency Group started shouting “No, no, no”.

This was countered by shouts of “Dogara, Dogara” by pro-Dogara reps, who started distributing green scarves with the inscription “I stand with Dogara.

The motion was however passed and referred to the ethics and privileges committee, which would look into the matter.

At this point, members began shouting “Dogara, Dogara.”

When Madaki was recognised to speak, he was barely heard, as scores of lawmakers were screaming all at the same time.

When calm returned to the house briefly and Madaki was allowed ‎to speak, he said the motion moved by Oker-Jev was not seconded by any legislator, which was against the house rules.

He reminded Dogara that there was a call for his resignation based on the allegations levelled against him by Jibrin.

Responding, Dogara said‎: “We all know who seconded the motion. The allegations were against the house; if I must resign, I will wait for you to tender in your resignation first.”

While some legislators quickly rushed at Madaki to give ‎him papers to write his resignation letter, others, again started hailing the speaker at the top ‎of their voices as mufflers and caps, which had the print of “I stand with Dogara”, were distributed to the speaker’s loyalists.