House of Reps members in rowdy session over budget padding scandal

Lawmakers today threw caution to the wind as they engaged in a shouting match in the house over the alleged budget padding scandal. Sacked Chairman of the House committee on Appropriation, Abdulmumin Jibrin had filed a petition before the Police, ICPC, EFCC, alleging that the speaker, Yakubu Dogara, three principal officers and nine other lawmakers, had padded the 2016 budget.

At their plenary today, Speaker Dogara had reportedly given permission to Chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business, Emmanuel Orker-jev, to speak and during his speech, Orker-jev moved a motion on breach of his privilege and that of the House by Jibrin over his allegations.

At this point, members of the Transparency group who are loyal to Jibrin, stood up and started shouting “No, no, no.” This was immediately countered by Dogara’s supporters who also started shouting “Dogara, Dogara” and began distributing green scarves with the inscription “I stand with Dogara”.