Nationwide protest: Tension grips Senate as Akpabio summons emergency meeting 

Amid tension in the country ahead of August 1 planned protest, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio has called for an emergency meeting of the Senate.

A circular obtained by online medium and signed by the Clerk, Chinedu Akubueze on Monday, said the meeting was of “National Importance”.

The internal circular did not give further details on the emergency meeting.

The meeting will be held on Wednesday, July 31, 2024, just one day before the commencement of the nationwide planned protest against hunger and hardship.

The memo wrote, “Dear Distinguished Senators, the President of the Senate, His Excellency, Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio, GCON, has directed that an emergency plenary sitting of the Senate be convened as follows: Date: WEDNESDAY, JULY 31st, 2024; TIME: 12 NOON.

“Distinguished Senators are requested to make all necessary arrangements to attend as issues of national importance will be discussed. We regret all inconveniences that this interruption of the recess will cause. Thanks for your usual understanding.”

It would be recalled that the National Assembly had commenced a seven-week recess and was expected to reconvene on September 17th, 2024.

The recess was announced after the plenary last week Wednesday.

Both chambers of the Assembly – Senate, and House of Representatives, were supposed to be on break for seven weeks which is their yearly recess.