The National Assembly was in the early hours of Tuesday cordoned off by officers of the State Security Services in an alleged move by some senators to remove the Senate President, Bukola Saraki.
The officers. who said their actions are ‘order from above’ initially denied lawmakers entrance into the National Assembly.
The lawmakers were later allowed to enter the chamber.
For days, speculation have been on, on the appropriateness of Mr Saraki as Senate President, having defected from the ruling APC to the PDP.
Some APC senators are of the opinion that Mr Saraki should resign his position on the argument that the Senate should be presided over by a lawmaker from majority party. The APC is still believed to have a slight majority in the Senate.
However, PDP senators and others loyal to Mr Saraki vowed to resist any attempt to remove him.
Follow our live updates below
Some senators and members of the House of Representatives have been allowed entrance into the National Assembly.
The lawmakers, who were initially denied access into the complex by DSS men and security operatives were allowed in moments ago.
The Senators include Ben Murray Bruce, Biodun Olujimi, Rafiu Ibrahim, Isa Misau, Abdullahi Gumel. These all have entered the premises.
Some members of the House of Representatives also entered.
At 8.15 a.m. Tuesday morning, the lawmakers, who were initially denied access, were called in by security officers on criteria which SKYTREND NEWS cannot independently confirm.
Armed and masked officials of the DSS have earlier on blocked access into the National Assembly complex.
The security operatives arrived at the complex as early as 6.00 am.
The armed men have prevented staff, legislators and journalists from entering the complex.
Earlier, the leader of the masked SSS team at the National Assembly entrance said the siege was “an order from above”.
“We need more guns, send us more guns,” the officer, who wore no name tag, was heard shouting openly as National Assembly staff and journalists at the gate watched.
As early as 7 a.m. Tuesday morning, the main entrance of the building was blocked by the security operatives.
A police officer was quoted by PREMIUM TIMES as saying that he had no details about the situation.
“I don’t know what is happening. I’m seeing it just like you and I’m surprised, ” he said.
At 9:00 a.m., more senators and House of Representatives members are entering the National Assembly.
Senators Philip Aruwa Gyunka and Bassey Akpan arrived and entered the National Assembly.
A source qyoted by PREMIUM TIMES said APC senators are entering the National Assembly through the back gate where a list has been submitted to security operatives. That has not been independently.
Some senators earlier spoke on on the siege by the masked operatives on the National Assembly. They spoke at the time they were not yet allowed into the chamber.
“We got here this morning to go into our office as usual; I work very early. During recess we do committee works and our own writings. I’m writing a book, so I go in there almost every day,” Rafiu Ibrahim, a senator from Kwara State said.
“We got here and DSS has taken over all the gates, all entrances to the National Assembly and they said it’s order from above. We asked them why, they said there is no reason. As it is today, it means Nigeria is under siege.”
Ben Murray-Bruce, PDP-Bayelsa, also condemned the situation.
“It has come to out attention that our colleagues cannot go to work after we adjourned for recess.
“I have contacted the UK and US Embassy to revoke the visa of Senator Akpabio or anybody leading this assault on this institution. We will ask them to revoke the visas of their wives and that of their children. They will not be allowed to leave Nigeria to travel to any nation in western Europe and North America,” he said.
Both senators, like others, were late allowed into the Senate.
After about an hour inside, Ben Murray-Bruce came out to address journalists.
He said the chamber is still locked because National Assembly staff are denied entrance.
He added that only PDP Senators are inside the Senate chamber thus confirming that APC senators are yet to converge at the chamber.
Some senators earlier spoke on on the siege by the masked operatives on the National Assembly. They spoke at the time they were not yet allowed into the chamber.
“We got here this morning to go into our office as usual; I work very early. During recess we do committee works and our own writings. I’m writing a book, so I go in there almost every day,” Rafiu Ibrahim, a senator from Kwara State said.
“We got here and DSS has taken over all the gates, all entrances to the National Assembly and they said it’s order from above. We asked them why, they said there is no reason. As it is today, it means Nigeria is under siege.”
Ben Murray-Bruce, PDP-Bayelsa, also condemned the situation.
“It has come to out attention that our colleagues cannot go to work after we adjourned for recess.
9.31a.m., Suleiman Nafiz, one of the senators that left APC for PDP, entered the National Assembly.
9.34a.m., Senator Forster Ogola joined his other colleagues in the assembly. Mr Ogola parades a fake Ph. D certificate as revealed in a joint investigation by PREMIUM TIMES and other Nigerian media.
To Receive Free News Updates, Add To Your WhatsApp: 0802 739 7554; To Publish Your Articles Or News Stories, Email editor@skytrendnews.com.
READ ALSO! Between GoDaddy And Namecheap: Making The Best Choice For Domain Name Registrar
READ ALSO! Google Developing New Tools To Enhance Article Search For News Publishers On Subscription
READ ALSO! The Hurdles Nigerian Youths Must Cross By 2019, By Dele Momodu
READ ALSO! The Internet’s Future Lies With Its Next Billion Users — Sundar Pichai, Google CEO
READ ALSO! Nigerian Filmmaker, Zuriel Oduwole Makes Forbes List Of 100 Most Influential African Women
READ ALSO! Woman Marries Her Son After Getting Pregnant For Him
READ ALSO! Smartphone Sales Fall As Samsung, Apple Consolidate Market Share
READ ALSO! The Smart CEO: Top 5 Websites To Get Cheap Domain Name Registration