The planned address of a joint session of the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday over the worsening security situation in Nigeria now appears uncertain.
This situation followed the antics of the governors of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) at the party’s National Executive Council meeting held in Abuja on Tuesday.
Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, who moved the motion for the cancellation of the President’s planned address, reportedly cited a possibility of unnecessary immitations of such invitation by state assemblies nationwide. He was quickly supported by Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi and other colleagues.
Assembly’s invitation
On December 1, after a riotous debate on the floor of the House of Representatives, members unanimously endorsed a motion of urgent national importance by a representative, Satomi Ahmed.
The motion had sought the appearance of the President over the recent killings of farmers in Borno State.
The attack by Boko Haram on November 28, on mostly rice farmers in Zabarmari, a community in Jere Local Government Area, saw at least 43 farmers killed. More than a dozen are still said to be missing till date.
The incident immediately sparked local and international outrage, with many Nigerians calling for the resignation of service chiefs and even the president himself.
The development has also been cited as one of the reasons for the renewed protests by young Nigerians across some states, who are demanding the resignation of President Buhari.
But in its response, the upper chamber of the National Assembly simply called for the removal of the service chiefs. It was the third time such demand was made by the red chamber.