Anxiety as Reps hold emergency session

Mother of all fears has reportedly gripped both the presidency and the leadership of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, over the decision of the leadership of the House of Representatives to convene an emergency session over the sudden removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government.

Sunday Tribune  reliably gathered in Abuja on Saturday that the news of the emergency session by the House of Representatives shocked the presidency and the ruling party when it was confirmed at a world press conference addressed by the leadership on Friday after the Jumat Service.

This development, according to our source , if not nipped in the bud, would  further fuel the growing mass protest against the increment across the states of the federation and  the FCT as well as heightening the tension already created in the country by the defiant Islamic group, Boko Haram.

It was learnt that series of meetings had been going on in the presidency in the last 24 hours which centered on how to prevail on the leadership of the House to shelve the emergency session.

Findings revealed that the presidency had contacted some notable traditional and religious leaders, state governors , ministers, political leaders, as well as former presidents and heads of states on the need to wade in and  prevail on the lawmakers to put off the emergency session .

It was however gathered that all efforts had failed as the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon.  Aminu Tanbuwal was said to have stood his ground that the session would hold, telling the government emissaries that the House “cannot be blind to issues in the country that require urgent attention.”

It was however gathered that the House derived the power to sit on Sunday from Order 5, Rule 18, sub-section 2 of the House Standing Rules and that most members who are Christians and Muslims agreed to the Sunday session after due consultations with them along with other principal officers of the House.

This is coming just as it was learnt yesterday that all the principal officers of the House had gone underground, making it impossible to have  access to them by  the federal government emissaries.

Sunday Tribune however learnt that the Federal government , sensing trouble, had reportedly  placed all its security agencies on red alert nationwide for easy mobilisation to any black spot in any part of the country, while heavy armed anti- riot policemen with armoured personnel carriers were stationed at the main entrance leading to the National Assembly as well as all the roads leading to the presidential villa, Aso Rock , Eagle Square  and the Federal Secretariat , Abuja.

Though the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Prof. Rufia Ahmed Alkali could not be reached for comments as his telephone was put off when contacted, another national officer of the party who spoke under anonymity described the development in the country, especially the decision of the House of Representatives to convene an emergency sitting today, as “a threat to democratic  rule in the country.”

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