PASAN crisis deepens as leadership disowns protest

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.