Seven days ago when President Muhammadu Buhari presented the N8.83trillion 2019 budget to the joint session of the National Assembly, it was characterized by cheers and jeers from lawmakers across party lines. Taiye Odewale captures the build up to the fireworks.
Signs of what to expect
Signs that the 2019 budget presentation by President Muhammadu Buhari to the joint session of the National Assembly, would result into political fireworks between federal lawmakers on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) emerged penultimate Thursday in the House of Representatives when request to that effect via a letter from the President, was read on the floor of the hallowed chamber by Speaker Yakubu Dogara.
Against parliamentary procedures, immediately the Speaker read the letter in which Buhari sought for the hours of 11:00am on Wednesday, 19th December for the budget presentation to the joint sitting of both chambers, some lawmakers, threatened to boycott the sitting over alleged disparaging remarks made against the National Assembly on the budget presentation before the president’s request by the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma.
The Minister was alleged to have blamed the National Assembly for delay on 2019 budget presentation but the House Majority Leader, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila, countered the move for a debate on the allegation, upon which the House leadership succeeded in pushing the request through via voice votes.
But even at that, a day to the budget presentation, precisely last week Tuesday, 18th December, 2018, the very day similar approval for the presidential presentation was achieved in the Senate, the APC caucus at both chambers had separate meetings to fashion out strategies on how the required support and solidarity would be given to the President during his appearance in view of the fact that topmost presiding officers at both chambers are now in the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Row at the House
Little wonder that on the D-Day, signs that all would not be well with the event started with a sudden shift in time from the 11am initially requested for by the President to 12 noon.
Specifically, when the House of Representatives convened first as was the age long practice, some members dramatically shouted “nay” to a question on a motion by Majority Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila, to allow Senators into the chamber for the joint session.
Speaker Dogara, after a brief consultation with some principal officers, called for an urgent closed door session, which lasted for about 30 minutes and when back into the open session, opposition members started singing “Freedom Cometh By Struggle, Freedom, Freedom Cometh By Struggle, Freedom”.
Chants
This was followed by displaying of placards with different uncomplimentary inscriptions with attendant counter reactions from members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) some of whom forcefully collected the placards from their PDP counterparts and tore them to pieces which almost resulted into physical combat between Hon. Bashir Babale of the APC and Diri Douye of the PDP.
Trouble worsened for the all important assignment at about 12.40pm when President Buhari was ushered into the chamber amidst cheering and jeering by the federal lawmakers across party lines.
While lawmakers on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) were clapping and shouting sai Baba to the President, their PDP counterparts booing and singing , ” Nigeria needs freedom”.
The already tensed atmosphere apparently made the Senate President, Bukola Saraki to abandon his already prepared opening speech by hurriedly calling on the President to approach the podium for the budget presentation.
Embarrassing chants, no closing remarks
Like a prepared warfare, while the president was reading the N8.83trillion budget estimates, APC and PDP Senators were at shouting bouts to the embarrassment of the president who remained undaunted for some time.
But at a point, the President stopped his speech to caution the noisy lawmakers to be wary of their behaviour. “Hon members, may I appeal to you that the world is watching us. We supposed to be above this “, he said.
Even at that, the ugly situation remained unabated till the president finished reading his speech at about 1.55pm. The situation got uglier thereafter when the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara, made several unsuccessful attempts to read his closing remarks.
Consequently after about 10 minutes when neither the Senate President nor the Speaker could bring the situation under control, the National Anthem was hurriedly rendered by men of the Brigade of Guards for the President to leave.
Reactions
In separate reactions later, while the APC lawmakers condemned the rowdiness that characterized the presentation, their PDP counterparts, said it was democracy in action.
Specifically, Senators Godswill Akpabio and Olusola Adeyeye, said it was good that Dogara was prevented from making any remarks because him and Saraki are minority occupying positions meant for the majority.
” What we did for them is to show the whole world that APC is in the majority regardless of the presiding positions stolen by Saraki and Dogara for PDP”, said Akpabio.
The Senate leader, Ahmed Lawan, reacted by condemning the rowdy session in its entirety.
“Since 1999 that I’ve been in the National Assembly, I have never witnessed the type of legislative rascality or theatrics displayed by some of our members today. It is very shameful and unbecoming and not in anyway, in the interest of democracy, Nigeria and Nigerians”, he said.
With politicisation of the budget presentation as shown by members of the two leading political parties last week and adjournment thereafter the following day to January 16, 2019, concerned Nigerians are already resigning to fate that the consideration cum passage of the budget by the federal lawmakers next year , may also be politicised.
