Tension In Renovated Chambers As Senators Fight Over Seating Arrangement

Tension In Renovated Chambers As Senators Fight Over Seating Arrangement
Dispute arises over seating arrangement during session.
Senate proceeds into closed-door emergency session following verbal altercation.

EKO HOT BLOG reports that tensions flared among senators as they returned to the main chamber of the National Assembly on Tuesday, which had undergone years of renovation.

Previously, they had been conducting legislative affairs in a temporary hall while the main chamber was being refurbished.

With the project now complete, they resumed their sessions in the renovated chamber after a 40-day recess.

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Trouble started when the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, started reeling out names of Senators who marked their birthdays during the 40 days recess.

Specifically, Senator Sahabi Alhaji Ya’u (APC Zamfara North), stood up from the seat allocated to him to complain to the Majority Leader, Senator Micheal Opeyemi Bamidele (APC Ekiti Central), that he was not comfortable with the seat allocated to him.

The tone in which he complained triggered a harsh reaction from Bamidele, a development that led to the two senators exchanging words in an unpleasant manner.

This degenerated into a rowdy session and consequently forced the senators to rush into a closed-session.

During the rowdy session, Senator Ya’u angrily pointed his finger at Opeyemi, complaining that the seat allocated to him was not befitting, being a ranking Senator who held a principal position of Deputy Minority Whip of the Senate during the 9th National Assembly.

The verbal tantrums deepened when Senator Danjuma Goje (APC Gombe Central ), joined.

Goje also complained to the leader that ranking Senators were not well positioned in the sitting arrangement.