The House of Representatives dissolved into rowdy sessions on Wednesday afternoon following a heated debate over the alleged non-funding of constituency projects across Nigeria.
Alex Mascot, representing the Aba North/Aba South Federal Constituency of Abia State, sparked the uproar by moving a motion to summon President Bola Tinubu over the issue.
Voicing his frustration on the floor, Mascot demanded answers regarding the state of national infrastructure, saying, “Come and explain to us why we are spending trillions of naira drilling roads, doing constant roads, yet Nigerians are dying.”
Another lawmaker seconded the motion and went a step further, proposing an amendment to shut down legislative plenary for one week until the project funds are fully released.
This extreme proposal triggered immediate and sharp divisions among lawmakers as they debated the best way to handle the executive arm.
Representative Yusuf Gagdi strongly opposed the move, arguing that summoning the president was unnecessary because heads of relevant ministries and agencies handle project implementation.
Gagdi also flatly rejected the idea of locking up the assembly for a week, a stance that drew furious pushback from opposition members who began shouting down his counter-amendment.
Seeking to regain control of the chaotic chamber, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas intervened and ruled that members must cast an immediate vote to determine the House’s official stance.
