Police Invasion Of NASS Barbaric – Mark …FG, Police Defend Action …Invasion, Act Of Political Desperation -APC

Senate President, David Mark yesterday condemned the use of teargas on Senators and members of the House of Representatives by the Police, describing the action as barbaric.
Senator Mark, also ordered the immediate suspension of plenary session in both chambers of the National Assembly. This followed the invasion of the National Assembly by security operatives who thoroughly tear gassed Senators, Members of the House of representatives, staff and journalists.
Senator Mark, who had rushed out to the House of Representatives’ Chamber ostensibly to address the situation on hearing the development, was thoroughly tear gassed along with his colleagues while returning to his office after conferring with the Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal and his deputy Emeka Ihedioha.
After a brief meeting with principal officers of the National Assembly, Senator Mark said”.  “After due consultation with my colleagues in the both chambers of National Assembly on this ugly development, we have, therefore, agreed that today’s session be suspended forthwith.”
He condemned the application of maximum force on parliamentarians and civil servants who were in their respective offices to do their duties and ordered the closure of the National Assembly following the invasion of the complex by the police.
Mark, who is also the Chairman of the National Assembly, said the Senate and House of Representatives will remain shut till next Tuesday. He described the invasion of the assembly and the confusion that engulfed the complex as “very unfortunate.”
The Senate President said the Inspector-General of Police, would be invited to the Senate next Tuesday, adding that the Service Chiefs who were earlier invited to the upper legislative chamber to deliberate on matters relating to the insurgency in the northeast would now appear before Senators on Tuesday.
According to witnesses, security forces fired teargas   inside the parliament complex as opposition lawmakers, including the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Aminu Tambuwal arrived for sitting on emergency rule in the northeast.
Lawmakers who accompanied the speaker had to climb the second entry point gate as some who could not climb sustained injuries while trying to scale over.
At about 10.54am after much entreaties the speaker was allowed entry but other lawmakers were denied entry.
The Speaker’s official car was detained but after his entry into the outer space of the complex, Security men barricaded him and shot tear gas canisters into the air to scare him but the Speaker stood his ground.
The Speaker who got to the National Assembly at about 10.38am was accompanied by a long convoy of cars and was allowed to pass through the outer gate entry point.
The Deputy Speaker, Emeka Ihedioha arrived earlier at about 10.35am and was given a presidential passage into the complex.
Meanwhile the Nigeria Police Force have given reasons for the its heavy presence within the premises of the National Assembly  leading to the attempted shut out of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal.
The Police, in a statement issued by the Force Public Relations Officer, Ag. CP Emmanuel Ojukwu, said it was acting on an intelligence report that there was likely an invasion of the House of Representatives by hoodlums and thugs.
The statement reads: “Following an intelligence report of a likely invasion of the House of Representatives by hoodlums and thugs, the Nigeria Police Force promptly deployed its personnel to the premises to prevent a breakdown of law and order. “Consequently, the Police cordoned the area and began screening of all members and visitors alike.
“In the course of this lawful exercise, Alh. Aminu Tambuwal CFR, arrived the venue with a motley crowd, who broke the cordon, assaulted the Police and evaded due process and the Police had the duty to restore order and normalcy, using lawful means. “The IGP seizes this medium to warn all political actors and their followers to respect constituted authority and due process and to desist from the use of thugs to pursue their agenda”, it added.
The police, in the statement resolved to “continually apply all lawful means to prevent a breakdown of law and order in all segments of the society and shall apply the full weight of the law on any political actor who violates the peace and security of the nation”.
Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress has accused President Goodluck Jonathan of political desperation and sabotaging his own administration’s war against Boko Haram to satisfy his ambition. It says this desire is unbecoming of a self-respecting national leader.
In a statement in Abuja yesterday, by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said just because he was so desperate to remove Aminu Tambuwal as the Speaker of House of Representatives, Jonathan ensured that the House could not meet as scheduled on Thursday to consider his request for an extension of the State of Emergency in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states.
It said, ”For a President, who has severally stated his administration’s commitment to the battle against the insurgency in the North-East, is it not a cruel irony that he allowed his personal ego and political desperation to override his sense of propriety, by moving to have Rt. Hon. Tambuwal removed instead of having the House of Representatives sit to consider his request?
”Does anyone need any more evidence that the President’s sole preoccupation is how to win the 2015 elections, rather than the fate of the hundreds of Nigerians, who are daily being killed and maimed at the epicentre of the insurgency? Had he been genuinely committed to the fight against insurgency, would the President not have allowed the House to sit to consider his request? How does he feel now that the entire National Assembly has been shut down because of his capricious action?”
The party noted that because of “his meddlesomeness” in the affairs of another arm of government, and also “his blatant disregard for a court order that the status quo be maintained on the issue of the defection of the Speaker to the APC, the President on Thursday suffered a moral and political defeat that would hunt him” for a long time to come.
The statement added, “The plot was simple: The Presidency decided to use the reconvening of the House as an opportunity to remove the Speaker. While Deputy Speaker Emeka Ihedioha was accorded a presidential ride into the premises of the National Assembly, House Speaker Tambuwal was barred from entering by the hordes of security agents who have been deployed solely for that purpose.
”Their plan was to ensure that with Tambuwal locked out, Ihedioha would preside over the reconvened House and the Speaker will then be removed. The consideration of the request to extend the State of Emergency was not important to the Presidency. The fate of the Nigerians who are suffering from the insurgency, which has displaced 1.5 million people, does not bother the Presidency. All it wanted is to remove Tambuwal.”
In a related development, the All Progressives Congress has accused President Goodluck Jonathan of political desperation and sabotaging his own administration’s war against Boko Haram to satisfy his ambition. It says this desire is unbecoming of a self-respecting national leader.
In a statement in Abuja yesterday, by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said just because he was so desperate to remove Aminu Tambuwal as the Speaker of House of Representatives, Jonathan ensured that the House could not meet as scheduled on Thursday to consider his request for an extension of the State of Emergency in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states.
It said, ”For a President, who has severally stated his administration’s commitment to the battle against the insurgency in the North-East, is it not a cruel irony that he allowed his personal ego and political desperation to override his sense of propriety, by moving to have Rt. Hon. Tambuwal removed instead of having the House of Representatives sit to consider his request?
“Does anyone need any more evidence that the President’s sole preoccupation is how to win the 2015 elections, rather than the fate of the hundreds of Nigerians, who are daily being killed and maimed at the epicentre of the insurgency? Had he been genuinely committed to the fight against insurgency, would the President not have allowed the House to sit to consider his request? How does he feel now that the entire National Assembly has been shut down because of his capricious action?”
The party noted that because of “his meddlesomeness” in the affairs of another arm of government, and also “his blatant disregard for a court order that the status quo be maintained on the issue of the defection of the Speaker to the APC, the President on Thursday suffered a moral and political defeat that would hunt him” for a long time to come.
The statement added, “The plot was simple: The Presidency decided to use the reconvening of the House as an opportunity to remove the Speaker. While Deputy Speaker Emeka Ihedioha was accorded a presidential ride into the premises of the National Assembly, House Speaker Tambuwal was barred from entering by the hordes of security agents who have been deployed solely for that purpose.
“Their plan was to ensure that with Tambuwal locked out, Ihedioha would preside over the reconvened House and the Speaker will then be removed. The consideration of the request to extend the State of Emergency was not important to the Presidency. The fate of the Nigerians who are suffering from the insurgency, which has displaced 1.5 million people, does not bother the Presidency. All it wanted is to remove Tambuwal.”

Some members of the House of Representatives scaling the NASS gate following the police blockade, yesterday.