The Nigerian Senate, akpabio has barred several television stations and a multitude of photojournalists from covering its plenary sessions.
The move, executed by in-house security operatives identified as the National Assembly Sergeant-At-Arms, was enacted on Tuesday under the guise of preserving order within the newly refurbished Senate chamber, as reported by Politics Nigeria.
According to sources, a Sergeant-At-Arms operative stationed at the chamber entrance relayed that Senate President Godswill Akpabio instructed the security unit to curtail the number of media houses permitted to cover proceedings.
The Sergeant-At-Arm operative told journalists that Akpabio “instructed the security unit to restrict and prune down the number of media houses covering proceedings”.
A document, bearing the signature of the Senate Clerk Chinedu Akubueze, was affixed to the chamber entrance, listing only seven accredited media houses authorized to cover the sessions.
The approved media outlets include the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA), Channels TV, African Independent Television (AIT), Television Continental (TVC), Arise News, Newage, and ADBN.
The Press Corps leadership had previously engaged in discussions with the Senate Clerk the week before in an attempt to resolve issues regarding coverage protocols.
Despite ongoing dialogue, the Senate proceeded with its decision to exclude certain TV stations from plenary coverage, prompting expressions of surprise and dissatisfaction among journalists.
