The Nigerian Senate went into an emergency closed-door session on Thursday following a heated dispute between former Senate President, Senator Ahmad Lawan (Yobe North), and the incumbent Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, during plenary.
The disagreement started over a motion to amend the Senate’s official sitting time from 10 am to 11 am.
According to Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele (Ekiti Central), the adjustment was necessary to synchronize the Senate’s schedule with that of the House of Representatives. Bamidele moved the motion during Thursday’s plenary session.
However, Lawan opposed the motion, arguing that the proposed change lacked a convincing or “scientific” basis.
“The explanation that the change was to enable the Senate to synchronize its sitting time with that of the House of Representatives is not saleable to senators,” Lawan stated.
Lawan also contended that starting plenary at 11 am would extend sessions until 3 pm, overlapping with the time designated for committee meetings.
Akpabio responded by noting that the practice of starting at 11 am was inherited from Lawan’s 9th Senate, a claim that Lawan refuted.
“No, that is not correct!” Lawan retorted, challenging Akpabio’s comment.
Amid the escalating argument, Bamidele intervened, highlighting that senators often have multiple engagements, including late-night oversight duties, which make a 10 am start challenging.
Due to the intensity of the disagreement, Akpabio called for an emergency closed-door session to resolve the issue.
After the closed-door deliberations, the Senate resumed plenary and passed the motion to officially change the sitting time from 10 am to 11 am, with sessions ending at 3 pm.
Watch the video below:
The Senate convened a close session as Akpabio and Lawan had a difference in opinion regarding the scheduled setting time.
On Thursday, the Senate moved to adjust its rules by shifting the scheduled starting time from 10 am to 11 am upon a proposal put forth by its Leader,… pic.twitter.com/eAEdoriYoh
— Imran Muhammad (@Imranmuhdz) July 11, 2024
