Nigerian senators on Tuesday, April 30, attacked each other as they fought over sitting arrangements in the newly renovated chamber.
This happened when the National Assembly chambers were formally reopened today for legislative duties after about two years of renovation work.
During the renovation, the lawmakers were using makeshift chambers in both wings of the National Assembly.
It started when Godswill Akpabio, Senate President, read the names of senators who marked their birthdays during the vacation.
Senator Sahabi Ya’u (APC, Zamfara North) angrily stood up from the seat allocated to him to complain to the Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central).
His complaints to the leader started in a hushed tone before it degenerated into a shouting match between the two of them and consequently sparked reactions from other senators and eventually escalated into a rowdy session, which lasted for about 30 minutes.
Senator Ya’u was seen pointing his finger at the Senate Leader, complaining bitterly that the new seat allocated to him at the right corner of the chamber is not good for him, being a ranking Senator, who once held a principal position of Deputy Minority Whip of the Senate during the 9th National Assembly.
Senator Danjuma Goje (APC, Gombe Central) also joined in the verbal war. Goje complained to Bamidele that ranking senators were not well positioned in the new sitting arrangement.
The Senate President then called on the Senate Leader and the aggrieved senators surrounding him, before the issue was resolved.
Akpabio thereafter read his welcome address after normalcy was restored.
