Drama erupted on the floor of the House of Representatives on Tuesday as the Chairman, House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream), Alhassan Ado-Doguwa, launched a stinging critique of President Bola Tinubu’s administration over the worsening insecurity across the country.

He declared that Parliament should be shut down if the government fails to restore order and peace in volatile areas.
Doguwa, who spoke during a special plenary session convened to review Nigeria’s national security situation, said the nation was engaged in a full-scale war against humanity, insisting that the government’s best efforts were no longer sufficient.

While acknowledging ongoing operations by security agencies, the former Majority Leader said President Tinubu’s government had fallen short of its constitutional responsibility to protect lives and property, especially in the North, where he described the situation as devastating, unspeakable and tragically unbearable.

He warned that the deepening security crisis marked by banditry, kidnappings, terrorism and attacks on communities risked derailing political stability ahead of the 2027 general elections, arguing that there was now a “calculated attempt to demoralise the Nigerian state.”

“Mr. Speaker, I am therefore prepared to say that no matter what the government does—my government, led by Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the APC government, my party and despite all the submissions and efforts of the security agencies through their respective chairmen, I want to say that yes, the government is doing its best, the security agencies are doing their best, but with every sense of responsibility and without any fear of equivocation, their best is not good enough.

It is not good enough because the security situation in Nigeria today is horrific. Mr. Speaker, our security situation is tragic. The situation, especially in the North where I come from, is devastating.

“Our security situation in Nigeria today is unspeakable. It is unspeakable because our people are left ravaged in tension, fear, and despair, all because we are lacking in institutional and collective responsibility as a government. Mr. Speaker, the fact remains the same.

“I like that everyone of you here says that the responsibility of every democratic or elected government or military governments is fundamentally the security of the lives and property of its own people.

“Mr. Speaker, what we have today is like a failed security system. In my opinion, it is like, to quote the popular Bob Marley in his song from the 1980s, when he was saying: war in the North, war in the West, war in the East, and war down South.”

He added that “if the government is not prepared to do the right thing to protect the lives and property of our people, this House must be ready to shut down and declare an emergency until decisive action is taken.”

The Kano lawmaker maintained that although state governors share responsibility, the constitutional burden of national security rests squarely on the Federal Government, adding that insecurity had become a threat without identification of party, religion or tribe.

His remarks, however, drew immediate pushback from Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, who said the Parliament could not be shut down under any circumstances, insisting that the House remains the fulcrum of democracy and the institution best placed to drive solutions to Nigeria’s security challenges.

Kalu noted that past legislatures have confronted even greater crises without resorting to closure.

He urged caution in making statements that might be misunderstood outside the chamber, affirming that solutions must be sought within the House, not through drastic measures such as shutting it down.

Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, who also intervened, clarified that Doguwa’s comments, like those of all contributors, represented personal opinions, not resolutions of the House, and would be considered alongside other submissions before formal decisions are taken.

“So it should be regarded as a contribution. At the end of these debates, we will now look at all the areas that are put to question and then come up with a resolution of the House. Anything that is being mentioned here is just a mere opinion of the Speaker, not the General House. So please let it be taken note of accordingly”, he said.

Speaking earlier, Majority Leader, Hon. Julius honvbere, who observed that there is a direct link between security, growth and development, however stressed that without security, we cannot promote growth, much less sustainable development.

While arguing that insecurity in Nigeria has far-reaching implications for West Africa, Africa, and even the world, the Majority Leader underscored the need to address the multifaceted security threats across the country.

In his contribution to the debate, Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda, admitted that all three Arms of government should take responsibility for the prevailing security challenges.

“First, if we cannot protect the lives and property of Nigerians as enshrined in our constitution, are we worthy to continue to sit as a parliament? I’m not saying all hope is lost. No, there is room for remedy.

“But we must see this as a national task and be selfless about it. There is no time for religion. There is no time for a political party. This is the time for us to talk about our own lives and existence”, he said.