ABUJA: There was confusion at the National Assembly on Tuesday after the Clerk to the National Assembly CNA Kamoru Ogunlana, issued a fresh notice announcing the postponement of plenary sessions of both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
The announcement came just hours after similar statements had already been released by his subordinates — the Chief of Staff to the Senate President, Chinedu Akubueze, and the Clerk of the House of Representatives, Yahaya Danzaria.
Ogunlana’s statement, titled “Reschedule of Resumption Date of Plenary Activities in the National Assembly,” confirmed that plenary earlier scheduled for Tuesday, September 23, 2025, would now hold on Tuesday, October 7, 2025.
“I am directed by the presiding officers of both chambers of the National Assembly to inform all members of the National Assembly and the general public that the resumption date earlier fixed for September 23, 2025, has been postponed to October 7, 2025. However, committee activities will continue. All distinguished senators and honourable members are requested to take note of the new date and adjust their schedules accordingly. Any inconvenience caused by this rescheduling is deeply regretted,” the statement read.
Senate, Reps Already Issued Separate Postponement Notices
Earlier in the day, the Senate had communicated the same shift through a notice signed by Akubueze, who unusually issued the memo instead of the Clerk of the Senate. No reason was provided for the delay in resumption, though Akubueze expressed regrets on behalf of the leadership.
The Senate, which adjourned on July 24, 2025, for its annual holiday, was originally billed to reconvene on Tuesday.
The House of Representatives had also circulated a similar message through its Clerk, Danzaria, announcing that its resumption would be shifted by two weeks.
Leadership, Clerkship Changes Fuel Speculation
The overlapping announcements have raised eyebrows within the National Assembly, especially as the CNA’s notice appeared to override those of his subordinates. The confusion also comes barely a week after the National Assembly Service Commission approved the appointment of Emmanuel Odo as Acting Clerk of the Senate during its 10th meeting on September 16, 2025.
With both chambers now set to resume on October 7, 2025, legislative activities remain on hold, stalling deliberations on key national issues awaiting action.
