Democracy Day: Journalists shut out of National Assembly gallery ahead of Tinubu’s address

Journalists accredited to cover the National Assembly were Thursday barred from accessing the House of Representatives press gallery to monitor the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s scheduled address before a joint session of the Senate and House of Representative.

 

The president is expected to deliver his Democracy Day address at noon as part of activities marking the June 12 anniversary commemoration, reports Daily Trust.

 

Despite possessing valid accreditation tags, reporters from major media outlets were denied entry by security personnel stationed at the entrance to the designated press gallery of the National Assembly.

 

Officials of the Department of State Services (DSS), the Sergeant-at-Arms, and other security operatives manning the gate insisted that only people with “special accreditation” would be granted access to cover the session.

 

Journalists from media outfits including, The Guardian, Vanguard, TVC News, Punch, News Central, The Nation and ITV were barred.

 

While accredited journalists were locked out, several politicians, aides, and individuals with no official role in the proceedings were seen gaining entry into the gallery to observe proceedings.

 

Security personnel told the journalists to follow the proceedings from the television screens at the National Assembly’s media centre.

 

Members of the Press Corps who were at the National Assembly as early as 7am to be able to cover the proceedings, lamented the development, describing it as an infringement on press freedom and a deliberate attempt to limit media coverage of an important national event.

 

•Photo Caption: National Assembly Complex, Abuja