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The week that just passed will for long be remembered as perhaps the most momentous week in the history of the Muhammadu Buhari administration since 2015. Exactly a week ago, officers of the Department of State Security Services (DSS), acting under the instructions of their boss at the time, Lawal Daura, wearing hoods, stormed the premises of the National Assembly in Abuja, Gestapo-style, occupied the place and resorted to the harassment of National assembly workers, members of the Legislative Assembly who had rushed to the place, and civil society groups that heard of the assault and decided to witness the special drama that was unfolding.
A few days earlier, the Presidency had made a special appeal to the National Assembly to cut short its vacation, and return to consider some urgent national matters, including the approval of the supplementary budget to accommodate expenditure for the 2019 elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The leadership of the National Assembly took a favourable view of this request and chose to meet last Tuesday at 12 noon to take a decision accordingly. But that meeting never held. Unknown to the Senators in particular, other people had other plans. By 6 am, gun-wielding, mask-wearing DSS officials had taken over the National Assembly. There have been many conspiracy theories, reports and conflicting accounts about this incident. What is clear is that what we are left with, what we can hang on to – are very embarrassing conclusions about the integrity of public institutions, the state of our democracy, the quality of leadership and the bad politics that stands in the way of everything else.
The assault on the National Assembly by the Department of State Security has been rightly condemned by all and sundry. It was indeed an assault on the sovereignty of the Nigerian people, to the extent that the National Assembly is the work-place of the elected representatives of the people of Nigeria. That also was a violation of the principle of the separation of powers, and a coup attempt against the rule of law. It was an illegal and unconstitutional act, and can be rightly labeled an act of treasonable felony. The allegation by the now dismissed, and detained former Director General of the State Security Services that he acted based on an intelligence report that there was a plan by some people to smuggle dangerous weapons and incriminating items into the National Assembly remains unproven. If anything, his action has thoroughly embarrassed the Buhari government. The biggest victim of that act of indiscretion is the President himself. Dauragate is by far, one of the worst “own goals” by this administration.
