SaharaReporters can report that a handful of protesters supporting embattled Senate President Bukola Saraki, under the banner of #SaveOurNASS, clashed with protesters from the #OccupyNASS outside the National Assembly complex in Abuja today.
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The #SaveOurNASS group, who were very few, stormed the protesting area with banners of Mr. Saraki and of the Speaker of the House of National Assembly Yakubu Dogara. Some other demonstrators carried placards with inscriptions: ‘Presidency, Stop the Harassment,’ ‘Say No! To Executive Impunity,’ ‘Presidency Stop Harassing Saraki,’ and ‘Saraki Must Stay.’
The competing groups met one another outside the National Assembly main gate, where the #OccupyNASS protesters had already staged a sit-in.
Their arrival, which upset some protesters part of the #OccupyNASS, resulted in a scuffle and led to #OccupyNASS members to tearing the Saraki and Dogara banners into shreds.
It took the intervention of the police to separate the two groups from inflicting injuries on each other. #OccupyNASS maintained that they would not allow the sponsored group to tarnish their public image.
#OccupyNigeria continued their sit-in after subduing pro-Saraki protesters and vowed to continue the protests until Saraki resigns from the Senate.