FILE - Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan (L) presents the 2013 budget proposal as Senate President David Mark (C) and House speaker Aminu Tambuwal look on at a joint sitting of the parliament in the capital Abuja, October 2012.
Chaos erupted at Nigeria's National Assembly on Thursday as security forces tried to block the speaker of the House of Representatives from entering the complex.
Police told VOA they fired tear gas during a clash between the security forces and an estimated 200 supporters of House speaker Aminu Tambuwal.
Tambuwal angered the ruling People's Democratic Party by recently defecting to the opposition All Progressives' Congress.
Nigerian newspapers report that dozens of personnel from Nigeria's State Security Service took over the National Assembly ahead of a session Thursday over which Tambuwal was to preside.
The reports say the speaker initially was stopped from entering, but that other lawmakers intervened, damaged a gate, and brought Tambuwal into the complex.
The House was due to discuss a request from the government to extend a state of emergency in three northeastern states where the army is battling the radical Islamist group Boko Haram.
The session, which was canceled, would have been first for the speaker since he switched parties.
The APC is expected to present the biggest challenge to the ruling PDP and President Goodluck Jonathan in elections in February.
Source: Voanews
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