The resumption of the Nigerian Senate from its Easter and Sallah break on Tuesday, April 30, was marred by a near-chaotic scene as senators engaged in a heated argument over seating arrangements.
The plenary began around 11:00 am after the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, took his seat and the customary prayers were said.
As Akpabio announced the birthdays of senators that occurred during the recess, a confrontation erupted between Senator Sahabi Ya’u (APC – Zamfara North) and Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele (APC-Ekiti Central).
Senator Danjuma Goje (APC, Gombe Central) quickly joined Ya’u, resulting in a heated exchange with Bamidele and Senator Sunday Karimi (APC – Kogi West), who oversees seating arrangements.
The commotion arose from a dispute over the new seating arrangement in the recently renovated main chamber of the Senate.
Several senior senators expressed dissatisfaction with their seating positions, particularly those assigned to the front row on the last right side of the aisle.
Despite attempts by the Senate president to calm the situation by inviting aggrieved senators to address their concerns individually, Senator Ya’u seemed reluctant to do so.
The rowdy session persisted for about 20 minutes as senators continued to argue. Eventually, the Senate president delivered his welcome speech, and the Senate Leader proposed that the Senate move into an executive session, which is held behind closed doors.
The executive session commenced at 12:05 pm.
The Senate had adjourned plenary on March 20 until April 16 but had to postpone its resumption twice to complete the renovation of the chamber, which had been ongoing since 2022.
