Tension flared during the Senate’s return to plenary on Tuesday, marked by a chaotic scene as senators clashed over seats in the newly renovated Senate Chamber.
The plenary commenced at approximately 11 am, with Senate President GodsWill Akpabio reading out announcements, including recognizing lawmakers who had celebrated birthdays during the break.
However, the atmosphere turned tense when Senator Sahabi Yau (APC, Zamfara North) began raising his voice at Senate leader Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central), who responded by pointing a stern finger at Yau.
Senator Danjuma Goje (APC, Gombe Central) joined Yau in confronting Bamidele and Sunday Karimi (APC, Kogi West), the chairman of Senate Services responsible for seating arrangements.
The altercation stemmed from discontentment with the seating allocation in the newly renovated chamber, particularly among senior senators assigned seats in the front row on the far right side of the aisle.
Senate President Akpabio attempted to mediate, urging the aggrieved senators to address the issue individually, but they declined.
The commotion persisted for approximately 20 minutes, with senators engaged in arguments.
Following Akpabio’s welcome-back speech, the Senate leader proposed a closed-door session, which was agreed upon.
At around 12:05 pm, the Senate convened for an executive session.
The Senate had previously adjourned on March 20 until April 16, with subsequent postponements to allow for the completion of the chamber’s renovation, which had been ongoing since 2022.
