Nigerian House Minority Walks Out Over State Police Bill Passage

The Minority Caucus in Nigeria's House of Representatives staged a dramatic walkout from a plenary session on Thursday, protesting the passage of a bill to establish state police. The lawmakers accused the House leadership of violating constitutional provisions and parliamentary procedures, insisting their protest was not against state police itself but against the alleged abuse of due process.

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The Constitution is the grand norm. It is the rule book from which even our Standing Orders derive their powers. For the Speaker, acting as Chairman of the Committee of the Whole, to disregard the clear provisions of Section 9(2) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, is a great affront to the workings of the House of Representatives.

Leading the protest, Minority Leader Fredrick Agbedi stated that the Speaker, presiding as Chairman of the Committee of the Whole, disregarded clear constitutional requirements for altering the Constitution. He argued that attendance is verified by signed registers, not by names read out during proceedings. Agbedi stressed that constitutional amendments require a two-thirds majority for each clause, a procedure he claims was bypassed in favor of a voice vote on the bill's long title.

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We are not against the creation of state police. Whatever will help address insecurity in Nigeria, we are prepared to support. But every action taken by Parliament must follow due process.

"We are not against the creation of state police," the caucus asserted. "Whatever will help address insecurity in Nigeria, we are prepared to support. But every action taken by Parliament must follow due process." The lawmakers revealed they had previously discussed proposed amendments with the Speaker, who reportedly acknowledged areas for improvement. However, they expressed dismay that these concerns were seemingly ignored during the committee of the whole session.

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Mr. Speaker even identified areas where we could intervene, but when he sat as Chairman of the Committee of the Whole, he simply read the long title and put the question through a voice vote. That is absurd.

The Minority Caucus warned that failing to adhere to constitutional procedures undermines the credibility of the National Assembly and Nigeria's democratic institutions. They believe that such actions damage the reputation of both the legislative body and the nation's democracy on a broader scale.

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When the rules and regulations are not complied with, it affects the credibility of the institution as well as the credibility of Nigeria and our democracy.