The Senate has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to exempt lawmakers from the recent directive ordering the withdrawal of police personnel attached to Very Important Persons (VIPs) across the country.
The request was made on Wednesday during plenary following a Point of Order on Privilege raised by Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi), who complained about the removal of his police orderly while other public office holders continued to enjoy extensive security coverage.
President Tinubu had on November 23 directed the nationwide withdrawal of police aides assigned to VIPs, ordering that the affected officers be redeployed to strengthen core policing duties in communities facing security challenges.
Raising the issue on the Senate floor, Ningi expressed displeasure over what he described as selective implementation of the directive. He noted that he had served in the National Assembly since 1999 and had always been assigned only one police orderly, which was withdrawn without prior notice.
According to him, while he had no objection to the policy itself, its execution should be uniform and fair. He argued that the order should apply equally to top government officials, including the President, Vice-President, Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives and ministers.
Ningi alleged that despite the directive, several ministers and other political office holders were still moving with large security convoys. He also claimed that relatives of politicians and even entertainers were still enjoying police protection, describing the situation as unacceptable and contrary to democratic norms.
The senator described the withdrawal of his only orderly as humiliating, insisting that lawmakers should not be treated as scapegoats while others continued to enjoy security privileges in violation of the presidential order. He therefore called on the Senate President to mandate the Senate Committee on Police Affairs to investigate the apparent disparity in the implementation of the directive.
Responding to the concerns, Deputy Senate President, Jibrin Barau, who presided over the session, said the Senate leadership had already deliberated on the matter at a meeting held the previous day.
Barau assured senators that concrete steps had been taken to address the issue and that the leadership was awaiting the outcome of its engagement. He described the situation as one of concern and pledged that the Senate would remain actively involved until it was resolved.
He expressed confidence that President Tinubu would listen to the concerns of lawmakers and consider exempting the National Assembly from the order. Barau also reiterated the Senate’s support for the President’s broader efforts to tackle the country’s security challenges, noting that the chamber continued to commend the administration’s approach.
“We stand with Mr President in his efforts to address insecurity in the country,” Barau said, adding that the matter would be pursued at the highest level.
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