It was a moment of embarrassment on Tuesday as Senators reconvened for their plenary session after a forty-day hiatus for Easter and Sallah, only to find themselves embroiled in a heated dispute over seating arrangements.
The Senate chamber erupted into chaos as three senators engaged in a fierce argument, leading to a tumultuous scene within the hallowed halls.
The altercation unfolded in the newly reconfigured Hallowed Chamber as senators quarreled among themselves over their assigned seats.
Initially, there was a sense of excitement as the session commenced in the renovated chamber. However, trouble ensued when the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, began acknowledging senators who celebrated their birthdays during the recess period.
Senator Sahabi Alhaji Ya’u of the APC representing Zamfara North, visibly upset, rose from his seat to express dissatisfaction with his assigned seating, directing his grievances to the Senate Leader, Senator Micheal Opeyemi Bamidele of the APC representing Ekiti Central.
Senator Danjuma Goje, representing APC, Gombe Central, echoed Ya’u’s sentiments and also voiced his displeasure with the seating arrangement to Bamidele.
Today marked the senators' first use of the renovated chamber, a significant moment occurring 19 months after the closure of the Hallowed Chamber.
Recall that both the House of Representatives and the Senate relocated to temporary chambers in September 2022 for the commencement of renovation work on their respective Hallowed Chambers by Visible Construction Company Nigeria Limited, which began in July 2022.
In March 2021, the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) awarded a N37 billion contract to Visible Construction Limited and other firms for the rehabilitation of critical segments of the National Assembly complex, including the construction of a library and a permanent site for the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC), among other facilities, all of which are nearing completion.
According to the standing rules of the upper legislative chamber, senators are seated based on their ranking.
Ya’u’s initial complaints to the Leader, starting in a subdued tone, escalated into a shouting match between the two, eliciting reactions from other senators and ultimately resulting in a rowdy session.
During the approximately 30-minute chaos, Senator Ya’u vehemently pointed out that his seat, located at the far right of the chamber, was not fitting for a ranking senator who held the principal position of Deputy Minority Whip of the Senate during the 9th National Assembly.
The verbal sparring between the Leader and Senator Ya’u intensified when Senator Danjuma Goje of APC, Gombe Central, also joined the fray, expressing similar concerns about the seating arrangement for ranking senators.
To restore order, Senate President Akpabio called upon the Leader and the aggrieved senators surrounding him to approach the Chair, which they did, allowing Akpabio to proceed with his welcome address.