On Tuesday, the Senate plenary resumed in a chaotic manner as senators engaged in a heated altercation over seating arrangements.
The session commenced at 11 am with Senate President GodsWill Akpabio reading out announcements, including the names of lawmakers who celebrated birthdays during the Senate’s break. However, during these announcements, Senator Sahabi Yau (APC, Zamfara North) began raising his voice at Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central). Bamidele responded by pointing his finger at Yau in a stern manner.
Senator Danjuma Goje (APC, Gombe Central) joined Yau in the confrontation, targeting Bamidele and Senate Services Chairman Sunday Karimi (APC, Kogi West), who was responsible for the seating arrangements.
According to sources, the dispute stemmed from the seating allocation in the newly renovated chamber. Some senior senators were reportedly displeased with their seats on the front row of the last right aisle.
Despite the Senate President’s request for senators to approach the chair one by one, Yau refused to comply. The chaos persisted for approximately 20 minutes as senators exchanged heated words.
Following the Senate President’s welcome-back speech, the Senate Leader moved to close the session. At 12:05 pm, the Senate went into an executive session behind closed doors.
This incident marks the latest disruption in the Senate’s proceedings. The Senate had previously adjourned plenary on March 20th until April 16th but postponed resumption twice to accommodate the completion of the chamber’s renovation, which had been ongoing since 2022.
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