During the Senate, and House of Representatives meeting in Abuja on plans to launch an eight-week break, Ndudi Elumelu asked his colleagues to return to their constituencies owing to the spate of insecurity in Nigeria.
The leadership of the two chambers announced the break having finished their respective plenaries on Wednesday.
For the legislators, they would resume sitting on September 20.
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The lawmakers have gone on various breaks since the start of the year, but this would be the longest because it is their annual break.
At the end of the plenary on Wednesday, Ado Doguwa, the majority leader, moved a motion for the house to adjourn sitting till September.
Elumelu, the minority leader, supporting the motion said;
“However, I want to beg members, Abuja is no longer safe, please, if possible, go back to your constituency. The place is so insecure.”
He was however interrupted by Doguwa, who said he is “derailing” from the motion he was asked to second.
In his remarks, Idris Wase, deputy speaker of the house, said such a “joke” shouldn’t have been made.
“Security is everybody’s business and we should not play politics with security,” he said.
“Colleagues, I want to beg of us that we all need to come together, work together and think in a manner that we can work together to sort our issues.
“I believe the minority leader, maybe, was putting some jokes but I do not believe that it was a joke on the security in the lives and property of the people. By the grace of God, Abuja is going to be secured.
“I do not think we should scare investors who are coming into the country; I do not believe that we should scare people who could come to add value to us. It has not gotten to the level to say that is not safe,” he said.
Attacks and kidnappings have spiralled in the nation’s capital in recent weeks.
On Sunday, three soldiers from Guards Brigade, Nigerian Army, were killed in an ambush by gunmen in Abuja.
On Monday, the ministry of education ordered the immediate closure of the Federal Government College, Kwali, in the federal capital territory (FCT) following security threats.
Earlier in July, the correctional facility in the Kuje area council was attacked by gunmen, where scores of inmates including suspected Boko Haram members, escaped.
