Plenary proceedings at the Senate resumed with a tumultuous start as tempers flared over seating arrangements in the recently renovated Hallowed Chamber.
After a forty-day break for Easter and Sallah, senators reconvened only to be embroiled in a heated argument that disrupted the session.
The commotion began when senators Sahabi Alhaji Ya’u of APC Zamfara North and Danjuma Goje of APC Gombe Central voiced their discontent with the seating assignments allocated to them. Senator Ya’u, visibly agitated, rose from his seat to express his dissatisfaction with the seating arrangement to the Senate Leader, Senator Micheal Opeyemi Bamidele of APC Ekiti Central. Senator Goje also echoed similar sentiments, leading to a tense exchange of words between the aggrieved senators and the Senate Leader.
The situation escalated quickly, with other senators joining the fray and exacerbating the already tense atmosphere. The quarrel, which began as a complaint about seating positions, soon devolved into a full-blown shouting match, disrupting the proceedings and causing a commotion within the chamber.
Amid the chaos, Senate President Godswill Akpabio intervened, urging the Leader and the disgruntled senators to approach the Chair to address the issue. After some deliberation, order was eventually restored, allowing Akpabio to proceed with his welcome address.
Following the tumultuous start to the session, an emergency executive session was called by the Senate Leader to address the underlying grievances and diffuse the tension among senators regarding the seating arrangement.
The incident underscores the heightened emotions surrounding the reopening of the renovated Hallowed Chamber and highlights the need for careful consideration in seating allocations to prevent future conflicts among senators.