…Reps in rowdy session

The House of Representatives was yesterday thrown into a rowdy session following the declaration of June 12 as democracy day by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The commotion, which lasted for over 45 minutes before it was brought under control by the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, was the culmination of a motion of urgent public importance by Raji Olawale (APC, Lagos) for the recognition of the presidential declaration of June 12 as democracy day.

Leading a motion on the debate, Olawale said June 12 remained a memorable day in the history of Nigeria. He extolled President Buhari for “finally listening to the voice of the people.”

Mr. Rotimi Agunsoyo (APC, Ondo) was concerned with the implication of declaring Abiola as the winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election.

But it was Ossai Nicholas (PDP, Delta) who drew the attention of the lawmakers to item 51 of the exclusive legislative list, which subjected the declaration of public holidays to legislative ratification. Ossai described the president’s action as an “act of desperation.”

However, Speaker Yakubu Dogara, to the applause of his colleagues, drew the attention of Ossai to a portion of the constitution that empowered the president to declare any day as public holiday without legislative ratification.