By Nathaniel Zaccheaus, Abuja
A fresh crisis has erupted within the National Assembly as discontented parliamentary workers clash with their union leaders over allegations of corruption, intimidation, and the failure to address persistent welfare issues.
The workers, operating under the name Concerned Parliamentary Staff, have notified the management of their plan to stage a peaceful picketing of the legislative complex, accusing the current union executives of mismanaging funds and betraying the trust of members.
Their planned protest, they said, is to draw attention to the alleged diversion of resources meant for staff training, allowances, and welfare programmes.
However, the leadership of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) at the National Assembly, led by Comrade Sunday Sabiyyi, has disowned the move, describing it as an attempt by a few aggrieved members to destabilise the institution.
In a memo dated September 25, 2025, Sabiyyi warned staff against joining what he called a “purported protest,” insisting that management had already met most of the workers’ demands while dialogue was ongoing over others.
“We do not support or condone any form of protest or picketing that disrupts the functioning of the National Assembly,” the memo stated, urging members to remain at their duty posts and continue their legitimate duties.
He also called on the management to maintain peace and prevent unauthorised gatherings within the complex.
The protesting workers, however, fired back in a separate letter to the Clerk to the National Assembly titled “Notification of Peaceful Picketing,” accusing the Sabiyyi-led Executive of financial opacity and intimidation.
They alleged that the leadership had failed to present audited accounts as required by the Union’s 2015 constitution and accused the National Assembly management of colluding “to shield certain ousted executives for fear of exposure.”
“These actions amount to interference and violation of our fundamental rights as workers,” the group stated in the letter signed by Messrs Chris Odo, Yusuf Mohammed Abiola, and Chinenye Peace Nda.
The aggrieved members also listed unresolved welfare issues, including the correction of salary short payments, remittance of statutory deductions, implementation of the Consolidated Legislative Salary Structure, and enforcement of the new ₦70,000 minimum wage.
They further demanded the inauguration of the National Assembly Service Pension Board, the provision of staff buses and official vehicles for directors, and the payment of pending allowances as captured in the approved Conditions of Service.
As of press time, the management of the National Assembly had yet to issue a formal response, though security sources confirmed increased vigilance within the complex to prevent any disruption of legislative activities.
A senior staff member who spoke on condition of anonymity said, “The tension is real. There’s deep distrust between the Union and its members. Many staff believe their welfare concerns have been abandoned.”
The dispute has laid bare long-simmering frustration among parliamentary workers, many of whom feel that successive union leaders and management have paid lip service to welfare reforms.
Analysts warn that if the crisis is not swiftly resolved, it could paralyse internal operations at the National Assembly and further dent the legislature’s public image amid widespread economic hardship in the country.
