The decision came through a majority voice vote shortly after a closed-door meeting between the lawmakers and service chiefs ended around 4.40pm.
The meeting, which started at 2.09pm, was presided over by the Speaker of the House, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal.
The speaker said the House chose to vote on the matter following a “robust debate” by members earlier on Wednesday.
Jonathan had forwarded the request for the extension of the emergency rule to the National Assembly on Tuesday.
The speaker explained that the meeting focused on the current security situation in the states and the progress made so far to secure the release of the over 200 schoolgirls abducted by insurgents in Chibok on April 14.
“We have been duly briefed on these two issues by the service chiefs and I therefore put the question for us to vote,” Tambuwal added.
He put the question and gave the vote to the majority voices shouting “ayes.”
The PUNCH learnt that prior to the meeting with the security officials, many lawmakers had vowed to oppose the extension.
However, they were said to have changed their minds after the briefing by the service chiefs.
The Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Zakari Mohammed, later confirmed at a news conference that the service chiefs were able to convince lawmakers to extend the emergency period.
He stated that the extension was needed for the military to “consolidate on the progress made during the last extension of emergency rule, especially now that there is going to be foreign assistance.”
Mohammed was asked a specific question on the allegation that soldiers’ allowances and funds for the procurement of equipment were diverted to private pockets.
According to him, the service chiefs denied that the soldiers were short-changed or denied welfare in the battlefront.
Source: Punch
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