As the National Assembly resumes from its annual recess Tuesday, the crisis in the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) has come to the fore, exposing a bitter split between its leadership and a faction of aggrieved members and setting the stage for a showdown among the staff.
By Haruna Salami
As the National Assembly resumes from its annual recess Tuesday, the crisis in the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) has come to the fore, exposing a bitter split between its leadership and a faction of aggrieved members and setting the stage for a showdown among the staff.
It will be recalled that on September 25, PASAN’s recognized leadership, led by Comrade Sunday Sabiyyi, issued a memo disowning a planned protest by a self-styled group known as the “Concerned Staff of the National Assembly” warning members to steer clear of the picketing, stressing that PASAN remains the only legally recognized union within the National Assembly.
“We strongly advise all PASAN members to remain at their duty posts and go about their legitimate responsibilities. We do not support or condone any protest or picketing that disrupts the functioning of the National Assembly,” the memo read.
Comrade Sabiyyi insisted that most of the grievances being cited, including arrears and welfare demands, were already being addressed in ongoing negotiations with management. He argued that any unauthorized demonstration would damage the Assembly’s image and derail dialogue.
But in a dramatic counter-move, a rival faction operating under the banner of “Concerned Members of PASAN” has vowed to proceed with a peaceful picketing exercise on October 7, 2025, the scheduled day for lawmakers’ resumption
In a strongly worded letter signed by Comrades Chris MC-Odo, Yusuf Muhammad Abiola, and Chinenye Peace Ndu, the group accused the Assembly management of colluding with ousted PASAN executives to cover up financial irregularities.
“Management, in concert with the ousted Exco, has laundered funds through PASAN accounts. Their continued protection of these individuals only deepens corruption and victimization of staff,” the letter alleged.
The wide-ranging demands of the faction demands “correction of alleged fraudulent short-payments of salaries and allowances, remittance of pension contributions and taxes, full payment of CONLESS benefits, rent subsidies, hazard and leave allowances, staff buses, implementation of the N70,000 minimum wage, and inauguration of the long-delayed National Assembly Service Pension Board”.
The group copied its letter to the Sergeant-at-Arms, DSS, and Police Division within the Assembly for security cover, signaling readiness for confrontation.
The standoff underscores the deepening crisis in PASAN, pitting its official leadership, which is presenting itself as a responsible negotiating partner, against aggrieved rank-and-file members who say corruption, financial mismanagement, and neglect of staff welfare have become the order of the day.
As both camps stick to their positions, the looming October 7 protest could be a litmus test for the unity of parliamentary workers and for the management of the National Assembly itself.