The Senate’s return to plenary on Tuesday was marred by a rowdy session characterized by senators fighting over seating arrangements.
The plenary commenced at around 11 am, and following the procession, Senate President GodsWill Akpabio proceeded to read out announcements, including the acknowledgment of lawmakers who had celebrated their birthdays during the break.
As the announcements unfolded, Senator Sahabi Yau (APC, Zamfara North) raised his voice towards Senate leader Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central), who responded by sternly pointing his finger at Yau.
Senator Danjuma Goje (APC, Gombe Central) joined Yau in shouting at Bamidele and Sunday Karimi (APC, Kogi West), the chairman of Senate Services responsible for seating arrangements.
The altercation was reportedly triggered by dissatisfaction with the seating arrangement in the newly renovated chamber.
Some senior senators were reportedly displeased with their assigned seats in the front row on the right side of the aisle.
Despite Senate President Akpabio’s attempt to address the issue by inviting senators to approach the chair one by one, Yau did not comply, prolonging the rowdiness for about 20 minutes.
Following Akpabio’s welcome-back speech, the Senate leader proposed a closed-door session, which the Senate resolved into at approximately 12:05 pm.
KanyiDaily recalls that the Senate recently began probing the utilization of N30 trillion in Ways and Means funds during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.