Proceedings in the House of Representatives turned rowdy on Wednesday after lawmakers clashed over a motion seeking to summon President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to appear before the Green Chamber.

The tension erupted during plenary when Benedict Etanabene, the lawmaker representing Okpe/Sapele/Uvwie Federal Constituency of Delta State, raised a point of privilege to draw the attention of the House to a circular dated June 29, issued by the Accountant-General of the Federation, Shamseldeen Ogunjimi.

Etanabene argued that the circular had generated widespread concern and deserved urgent legislative scrutiny. He maintained that, given the significance of the matter, the House should invite President Tinubu to provide explanations and address lawmakers on the issues arising from the directive.

His proposal immediately divided the chamber, with lawmakers expressing sharply opposing views. While some members backed the motion, insisting that the National Assembly has the constitutional responsibility to exercise oversight over matters affecting public finance and governance, others argued that summoning the President was unnecessary and could undermine established constitutional procedures.

The disagreement quickly escalated into heated exchanges, with several lawmakers speaking simultaneously and repeatedly interrupting one another. The situation became increasingly tense as members shouted across the chamber, forcing the presiding officer to intervene in an effort to restore order and allow proceedings to continue.

The debate reflected deep divisions among lawmakers over the extent of the National Assembly’s oversight powers and the appropriate process for engaging the President on issues considered to be of national importance.

Although calm was eventually restored after repeated appeals for order, the atmosphere in the chamber remained tense as lawmakers continued deliberations on the contentious motion.

The incident is the latest in a series of heated debates in the House of Representatives, highlighting growing disagreements among legislators over key governance and accountability issues. (Guardian)

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