Despite returning to work after a five-week break, yesterday’s session of the Senate was marred by rowdiness on account of poor sitting arrangement. 

• Legislative chamber denies, says all went well

Despite returning to work after a five-week break, yesterday’s session of the Senate was marred by rowdiness on account of poor sitting arrangement.

Ironically, it was a day to test the entire N35 billion renovation work done in both chambers of the National Assembly.

It was learnt that the outbreak of the hostilities was not unrelated to the suspension of Abdul Ningi.

Some southern lawmakers, including an influential principal officer, were said to have opposed the bid by their northern counterparts to persuade the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, to reverse Ningi’s suspension.

Senate Leader, Bamidele Opeyemi (APC: Ekiti Central), during the debate preceding Ningi’s suspension in March, reportedly said the Bauchi lawmaker is a member of a strong northern cabal bent on sabotaging the President Bola Tinubu administration for losing out in the general elections.

At yesterday’s sitting, the excitement of returning to the chamber after two years of parliamentary sessions in the temporary one was cut short by complaints of poor sitting arrangement.

Trouble started when former deputy minority whip, Sahabi Alhaji Ya’u (APC: Zamfara North), angrily rose from the seat allocated to him to complain to Bamidele.

His complaint, which began in a hushed tone, later degenerated into a shouting match and a rowdy session.

During the ensuing disorderliness, Ya’u angrily stated that his allocated seat belonged to a ranking member, who was Deputy Minority Whip in the Ninth National Assembly, a position supported by another ranking lawmaker, Danjuma Goje.

To douse the tension, Akpabio asked Opeyemi and others to approach their seats, an order that further infuriated the aggrieved legislators.

The issue of sitting arrangement has over the years generated problems in the National Assembly on account of the disparity between ranking and non-ranking senators.
But the chairman of the Senate Committee Chairman on Media and Publicity, Yemi Adaramodu, has dismissed the allegation of rowdiness.

Describing the development as untrue and rumour in a statement, the spokesman stated: “There was no disagreement, rancour or any verbal tirade in respect of the sitting arrangement in the Senate chamber. The Senate resumed today (yesterday) in the newly renovated chamber and the sitting positions of senators were done under the established legislative protocols.”