Chaos in Abuja as Borno reps summon Buhari over rice farmers’ massacre
Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila forced plenary behind closed doors in an apparent bid to shield the president from legislative scrutiny.
Lawmakers from Borno State, on Tuesday, moved a motion to summon President Muhammadu Buhari over the spate of insecurity in Nigeria.
Plenary at the House of Representatives turned rowdy after the reps made the move.
The motion specifically mentioned the recent killing of 43 rice farmers in the state by suspected Boko Haram near Maiduguri, the Borno State capital. The UN said at least 110 farmers were killed with many women kidnapped.
In the wake of the killing, President Buhari failed to visit the mourning villagers. He sent a “high-powered” delegation instead. His media aide, Garba Shehu, also blamed the slain farmers for farming without military clearance.
Part of the prayers by Borno lawmakers was to invite Buhari, who rarely takes questions from Nigerians, to appear on the floor of the House and address the lawmakers in plenary.
Efforts by the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila; Majority Leader, Alhassan Ado-Doguwa; and Chairman, House Committee on Air Force, Shehu Koko, among others, to have the prayer dropped proved abortive.
Gbajabiamila’s plea that a state of emergency be adopted instead was also rebuffed.
The Speaker was forced to ask that the lawmakers have an executive session which are usually held behind closed doors.
