Rage in the Senate over police invasion of National Assembly

Nigerians were bewildered watching the event of Thursday, November 20, 2014, when the police barricaded the National Assembly Complex, preventing some lawmakers from having access to their offices under the pretext that there was an ‘intelligence report’ that some ‘hoodlums’ planned to invade the complex.

Since the incident happened, there have been questions begging for answers. Do the police have the right to stop lawmakers from having access to their offices? Should the National Assembly be invaded without the knowledge of its Chairman, the Senate President? Can the police take such action without the knowledge of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic? The action of the invaders, was it political? If it was, has the law enforcement agency become an arm of a political party or group of people? At what point did lawmakers turn to hoodlums? And was the action of the police throwing tear gas within the assembly complex justified?

Watching from the sidelines or on television the incident, one would think it was one of the Hollywood films playing out. Before it happened, many had described the National Assembly, especially the Senate, as an extension of the executive arm of government while the House of Representatives members were described as juveniles, hooligans and rascals because of their seemingly independent mindedness in their relationship with the executive.



Besides, some political watchers frowned at the position of the lawmakers who consider national issues from the angle of partisanship. Most of the issues on the floor of the Senate or the House are debated from the angle of ethnicity or political affiliation irrespective of the consequences on the common populace.

It was also argued in some quarters that one of the problems Nigerians are facing today is as a result of the peoples’ docility and the tendency to applaud those in authority irrespective of the atrocities they commit.

Before the November 20 incident, a cold war had been insinuated between the senators, especially those elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the presidency over the congresses of the party. The presidency was accused of working in collaboration with the National Working Committee of the PDP to undermine the senators.

However, the Senators, while commenting on the invasion of the National Assembly, were almost unanimous in condemning the action of the police. Only a few members of the red chambre, especially Senator Heinekin Lokpobiri, suggested they didn’t see anything wrong with the siege.

The sponsor of the motion and Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba, SAN, had drawn the attention of senators to what he described as a regrettable situation where some ‘Honourable’ members were scaling the fence to gain access to the National Assembly and the freely use of tear gas on lawmakers.
He noted that the Senate President, Senator David Mark, was a victim of the tear gas, as well as the Speaker, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, among others.

He called on the Senate do condemn the action of the police, set up an ad-hoc committee to investigate the incidence and report back to the parliament within seven days.

First to support the motion was the Senate Deputy Leader, Abdul Ningi, representing Bauchi Central, who described the incident as a coup attempt by the police against the parliament and democracy, adding that if the Leader of the Senate had not brought the matter for discussion, it would have amounted to ‘a tragedy of monumental proportion.’

He said, “What happened last week at the National Assembly was a coup attempt by the Nigeria Police against the parliament. It is a coup attempt against the institution of the National Assembly and, of course, it is a coup attempt against democracy.

“At moment like this, it requires all people of good will to stand up and be counted to condemn this act. In the last fifteen years in the life of this administration, nothing of this nature has happened. Therefore, when things like this happen, people should not fear, people should not go into silence because it involves the police.

“The police is a constituted authority, so also is the National Assembly. A lot of people are not aware that in the National Assembly, we have what is called legislative power and privileges which made this National Assembly and its premises immune to any police action, immune to any attack, immune to any arrest.

“If they could do this in the National Assembly, what will make them not to do the same in the Villa? Is the Villa more important than the National Assembly? They are created by law. For anyone to attempt this, it is a matter of time before they do same in the Villa. It is important we do not make this issue partisan. I call all of us to rally round this motion.”

In the same vein, Senator Kabiru Gaya, Kano South, said the police were supposed to be the protectors of law and order but unfortunately, they were breaching it. He even said that when the Senate Deputy Leader called the Inspector-General of Police (Suleiman Abba) as the incident was taking place, the IGP directed him to talk to the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, in NASS.

He further lamented, “When governors were having a meeting, a police officer was sent to stop it and nothing was done. I think we have to find out who ever is involved, we should not allow this to continue, if not, one day it will escalate.”

The Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, also condemned the incident and described it as a desecration of the NASS,” the temple of democracy.”

He picked holes in the comment made by President Goodluck Jonathan’s aide, Dr. Doyin Okupe, who said the police were trying to enforce a court judgment.

“The fairest thing we can do is to get to the root of the matter. I suggest a public hearing  so that Nigerians will know what happened. I do not want to begin to apportion blame; we must hear the other side as elders. We should investigate all that happened and hear out the actors, including the security agencies that were meant to protect NASS,” he stated.

The Senate Minority Leader, Senator George Akume, in his contribution, said that, on that fateful day, he was at the gate where there was barricade but he was allowed in and perhaps for a purpose.

He said he had never heard of the parliament being assaulted by the police and that the founders of the presidential system of government decided, in their wisdom, to allocate functions to all arms of government.

“They gave us the system for checks and balance. Where power is not controlled, there is bound to be anarchy. That act was unconstitutional, deliberate. It is to tell us that we can reduce you to any level and there is nothing you can do,”Akume said.

“Those who are thinking their personal interest must override national interest are making a big mistake. Can this action be contemplated in Ghana, South Africa, Mali, even Cameroon? It is not the issue of partisanship, it is impunity. The Speaker was at the gate they barricaded.

“Where is our honour? If yesterday it was the Speaker, tomorrow, it could be Mr. President. Are we building democracy? We are gradually sliding into dictatorship. The police have no powers to do what they did, misinterpretation of the law by the police, impunity by the police.”

The Senate Chief Whip, Bello Gwarzo, noted that the Legislative Act Section 14:1 prohibited the invasion of the National Assembly and that Section 16 also said if any visitor obstructs a lawmaker in carrying out its duty, it is criminal. Senator Ahmed Makarfi described the invasion as an assault on the legislature and emphasized the need to devolve power to ensure checks and balances.

However, Senator Ita Enang, Akwa Ibom, said what happened was an opportunity for the National Assembly to rise up to its responsibility.

Senate Ali Ndume said the incident was a wake-up call for the lawmakers to look at the laws that established and guard the sanctity of the National Assembly. He expressed disappointed that the Senate President should reconvene the Senate about four days after the invasion and accused him of bending too much to the extent that he was tear gassed.

But Lokpobiri from Bayelsa State had a different position from his colleagues. Though he said he was willing to do anything to protect the National Assembly, he warned that sentiments should not be injected into the matter.

He said, “We created the police and gave them a job to do and on several occasion blamed the police for not gathering enough intelligence. We should investigate why the police did not just prevent the hoodlums.

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