Nigerian senator walks out of chamber over Wike’s demolitions

The senator representing Federal Capital Territory, Ireti Kingibe, walked out of the Senate chamber angrily on Thursday after being prevented from presenting a motion.

Mrs Kingibe raised a point of order to allow her to present a motion asking the Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike, to suspend the ongoing demolition of structures in Abuja, particularly an estate around the Life Camp area owned by the late Paul Ogbebor, a retired colonel.

The senator said she raised the issue during Wednesday’s plenary, but the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, directed her to present it at Thursday’s plenary so that the senators could have an extensive debate on it.

During Thursday’s plenary, Mrs Kingibe raised the motion, but she was prevented from presenting it because it wasn’t on the order paper, as stipulated by the Senate rules.

When Mr Akpabio asked her why the motion wasn’t on the order paper, Mrs Kingibe explained that she submitted the draft to the Senate Committee on Rules and Business to capture it on Thursday’s order paper.

Responding to the issue, Titus Zam, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Business, said his office didn’t receive a draft of the motion from the FCT senator.

Amid the argument, Mrs Kingibe packed her belongings on the table and angrily walked out of the chamber.

After the senator walked out, other senators, such as Asuquo Ekpenyong, Oyelola Ashiru, Mr Zam, and many others, approached the Senate president. They whispered in his ear, apparently to appease Mrs Kingibe.

After that, Mr Akpabio directed Abia Central Senator Augustine Akobondu and Lagos West Senator Idiat Adebule to inform Mrs Kingibe to return to the chamber for her motion to be addressed.

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After about five minutes, Mrs Kingibe walked into the chamber.

The senate president, however, ordered her to apologise to other senators for walking out angrily when the issue was still under consideration.

Mrs Kingibe refused to apologise initially but later did so following the senate president’s insistence.

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The motion was later granted, and the Senate subsequently constituted an eight-man ad hoc committee to discuss the demolition with the FCT administration.

The Senate also resolved that the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) should suspend the ongoing demolition of structures except those ordered by the court until the committee finalises its meeting with the FCTA.