Members of the House of Representatives were divided on Tuesday as the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila; and Majority Leader, Ado Doguwa, announced that Dolapo Osinbajo, wife of the Vice-President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, would be in the chamber to observe as the lawmakers voted on Constitution amendment bills.
The announcement was made at about 12:10pm after the Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Wase, made a presentation on the report by the Joint Senate and House of Representatives Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, which recommended 68 amendments to the Constitution.
Some of the lawmakers repeatedly screamed “no” in their protest against Mrs Osinbajo’s coming into the chamber as the lawmakers consider the report.
Others however replied with “yes.”
Gbajabiamila, who noted that the minority would always have their say and the majority would always have their way, put the admittance of the Vice-President’s wife into the chamber to voice vote.
Though the nays were more than the ayes, the Speaker ruled that the ayes had it.
However, the lawmakers, after waiting till 12:25 pm for Mrs Osinbajo to come in, started the voting exercise.
She had yet to enter the chamber as of 12:30 pm.
Aisha Buhari, wife of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), had stormed with the chamber on Wednesday last week, during which Gbajabiamila disclosed that she was in the chamber to look for gender bills.
Details later…
