The incident occurred at the Assembly Complex in Asaba, where Governor Oborevwori was delivering his address to lawmakers. Despite arriving early—by 9:30 a.m.—journalists from prominent media outlets, including The PUNCH, The Guardian, Tribune, ThisDay, Champion, New Telegraph, Leadership, Emerald Online, and others, were denied entry by the security team at the main gate.
The security operatives, led by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Saviour David, claimed they were acting on the orders of the Speaker of the House, Mr. Guwor Emomotimi. David, who maintained a firm stance at the gate, told reporters, “The order is from the Speaker and the authority. If you like, call anybody, nobody will answer you.”
Despite the journalists identifying themselves with valid press identification cards and repeated appeals by some officers on their behalf, the security team remained adamant, insisting that only members of the public and the Government House media crew would be allowed into the Assembly premises.
Efforts to reach the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor,Mr. Festus Ahon, and the Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker, Mr. Nkem Nweke, to intervene in the matter were unsuccessful. Calls placed to their mobile numbers went unanswered as of 11:30 a.m.
A senior government official, who spoke anonymously at the Assembly gate, expressed dismay over the situation, describing it as an act of overzealousness by the security team. According to the official, the directive to bar journalists did not emanate from the Governor.
“No, no, it is an overzealous action, not allowing journalists into the Assembly complex. They could have allowed you into the premises, even if not into the chamber itself, as the Governor’s address may have already begun. The order did not come from the Governor,” the official clarified.
The incident has raised questions about transparency and press freedom in the state, as journalists were effectively prevented from fulfilling their duty of informing the public about the Governor’s address—a critical part of the legislative process.
As of press time, there had been no official statement from the Office of the Speaker or the Office of the Governor clarifying the situation or addressing the barring of journalists.
