Opeyemi recounted how Senator Mustapha and 72 other first-time senators formed the First-Time Senators Forum, which the latter chaired in the build-up to the Senate leadership election.

The Senate leader at a recent public event revealed that old-time lawmakers made all attempts to intimidate and frighten Senator Mustapha, but he stood his ground and never faltered.

"Seventy-three of the senators were first-timers, meaning that the ranking senators were not in a position to determine the Senate President.

"We were held on the jugular by the new senators, and they formed their own forum and chose distinguished Senator Saliu Mustapha as the chairman of First Time Senators Forum.

"We tried to frighten him and letting him know that our rules does not recongnise any forum like that. And Mustapha will say, 'Okay, on the day of the election, we will know what the rules will do," Senator Bamidele recounted.

He further disclosed that the high-ranking senators had no option but to dialogue with Mustapha.