Drama as National Assembly official ‘slaps’ Senator

There was drama on Monday
at the new wing of the Senate
complex in Abuja after a
National Assembly official
physically assaulted the
senate deputy minority whip,
Abiodun Olujimi.
The incident happened
shortly before the
commencement of a public
hearing of the committee on
petroleum (downstream).
Trouble started when an
official of the Parliamentary
Staff Association of Nigeria
(PASAN) rode in the same
elevator with the lawmaker,
PREMIUM TIMES learnt.
Lifts in the assembly are
installed in pairs, one
reserved for lawmakers
(Senators and House of
Representatives members),
and another for other users.
The senator was on her way
to the petroleum committee
public hearing while the
PASAN member, who was not
immediately identified, was
to attend a meeting of his
association.
The PASAN meeting was in
preparation for a strike
which the association is
about to commence,

Wapsim247 learnt.
A witness said when the
lawmaker saw the PASAN
staff in the elevator reserved
for lawmakers, she demanded
to know why he used the
same lift with her.
The witness said the
lawmaker directed her aide
to “slap” the legislative
official, who immediately responded in
kind.
The PASAN staff however slapped the
senator and not her aide.
Neither the senator, her aide nor the
PASAN staff gave further details of the
incident as journalists inquired.
Mrs. Olujimi left the elevator and
challenged the PASAN official, who was
immediately shielded by his colleagues.
The PASAN staff refused to apologise,
and it took the intervention of National
Assembly security officials to rescue her
from the scene.
Other PASAN members declined
comments and refused to give the name
of the official involved.
The senator thereafter attended public
hearing.
In a chat with some journalists after the
hearing, she vowed to take up the case
with the National Assembly security.