The responsibility for seat allocation fell under the purview of the House Committee on Welfare, chaired by Olawale Raji (APC-Lagos). However, the protesting lawmakers, many of whom were first-timers, expressed their discontent with the seats assigned to them in one of the temporary chambers, deeming the location on the third floor as inconvenient.
In addition to the seating arrangements, some lawmakers also raised issues regarding the allocation of offices. As per the list issued by the Welfare Committee, 240 members were assigned seats on the second floor, while a small number of members, including some first-timers, were allocated seats on the ground floor.
In response to the protest, the speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, appealed for calm and provided assurances that the main chamber, which is currently undergoing renovation, would be completed before the parliamentary recess came to an end.
Khadijat Bukar-Ibrahim, chairwoman of the ad hoc committee on media, shed light on the situation during the plenary session. She clarified that the allocation of offices was the responsibility of the welfare committee, which had already completed the task and assigned offices to all members.
Regarding the seating arrangements, Bukar-Ibrahim noted that the temporary seating area did not have enough seats available downstairs to accommodate all members. Consequently, some members had to be accommodated upstairs. She also mentioned a minor commotion arising from the difficulty in hearing the microphone from the lower level.
"Mr Speaker has directed that members should occupy any seat they find downstairs, and everybody was satisfied," Ms Bukar-Ibrahim stated, emphasizing that the speaker had taken steps to address the concerns raised by the protesting lawmakers.
The protest highlighted the importance of fair and equitable allocation of seats and offices within the House of Representatives, ensuring an environment conducive to effective legislative proceedings and fostering the participation of all members.