By Jemimah Wellington, JKNewsMedia
THE NATIONAL Assembly gallery remained off‑limits to accredited journalists on Thursday, when President Bola Tinubu addressed a joint session for Democracy Day.
Despite valid accreditation, reporters from leading outlets as The Nation, The Guardian, Vanguard, TVC News, Punch, News Central and ITV were all refused passage by officers, including personnel from the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Sergeant‑at‑Arms.
Officials cited the need for “special accreditation” before granting entry.
Meanwhile, politicians, aides and unauthorised individuals entered the chamber unaffected, prompting claims of inconsistency and overreach.
Journalists were then redirected to the media centre and instructed to monitor proceedings via television screens.
Press corps sources have condemned the action as a curtailment of press freedom, labelling it a deliberate impediment to coverage of a prominent national event.
As the President began to deliver his address after the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, accredited journalists remain blocked from the NASS chamber despite valid tags.
