A dramatic scene played out in the Senate chamber when Senator Ireti Kingibe, representing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), stormed out in anger after being stopped from presenting a motion on demolitions in the nation’s capital.
The incident took place during a plenary session, which had been proceeding flawlessly until the senator was denied the chance to table her motion by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
This led to a heated exchange, leading to the senator storming out of the chamber.
Be that as it may, the situation was brought under control when other senators, including Asuquo Ekpenyong, Oyelola Ashiru, and others interceded and pleaded with the senate president to permit the senator to return and present her motion.
After a few minutes, Kingibe got back to the chamber and was directed by the senate president to apologise for her actions. At first, she refused to apologise, but later yielded after the senate president’s demand.
Kingibe later said the Federal Capital Territory Administration on the instruction of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike embarked on monstrous obliteration of structures in the FCT and that the exercise was based on illicit structures and non-development of apportioned plots of land by the FCTA.
She attested to the fact that the current obliteration was not in line with due process of court orders and that a few persons have experienced untold hardship and loss of properties worth billions of naira.
Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan representing Kogi Central Senatorial District immediately supported Kingibe’s prayer that the FCTA be ordered to stop the demolitions.
The motion was granted, and an eight-man committee was set up to look into the demolitions with the FCT administration.