The Nigerian House of Representatives has explained that a shift to a closed-door session during a debate on U.S. President Donald Trump's remarks about Nigeria was due to protests by unpaid contractors, not the motion itself. The session addressed unrest at the National Assembly complex. Plenary was subsequently suspended for a week amid the blockade.
On Tuesday, November 4, 2025, the House of Representatives in Nigeria entered an executive session midway through debating a motion on controversial statements by U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump had described Nigeria as a 'country of particular concern' over alleged Christian genocide, sparking national discourse. However, House spokesperson Akin Rotimi clarified that the closed-door meeting had no connection to this motion.
The session was prompted by protests from indigenous contractors who barricaded the National Assembly complex in Abuja, demanding payment for verified projects under the 2024 and 2025 budgets. Led by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, the plenary had already been rowdy earlier due to disagreements over which committee should investigate alleged irregularities at the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex.
As the Trump motion came up for debate, Kalu called for it to be seconded as a matter of urgent national importance, but proceedings halted when he directed lawmakers into the executive session to address the growing tension from the contractors' unrest. The protesters vowed to continue their demonstration for seven days until their demands were met, disrupting access for lawmakers and staff.
After the bipartisan discussions focused on solutions to delayed fund releases for capital projects affecting communities nationwide, the House suspended plenary for one week. Rotimi told journalists: "The fact that we dissolved into an executive session had no bearing on the substantive case which was being debated, just to make that clear."
He commended the media's professionalism and urged against misinterpretations, emphasizing no conflict between the legislature and executive. Rotimi added that the House would likely revisit the Trump issue later, noting ongoing high-level engagements by the presidency.