In a tumultuous session on Tuesday, the upper parliamentary chamber witnessed a heated dispute among three senators regarding seat allocations in the newly renovated space.
Senators Danjuma Goje representing Gombe Central and Sahabi Yau representing Zamfara North raised objections to the seats assigned to them, directing their grievances to the majority leader, Opeyemi Bamidele.
The Senate, which has resumed its proceedings in the refurbished chamber after a two-year renovation period, mandates seating arrangements based on seniority as per its standing rules.
The scheduled recess for Easter and Sallah celebrations was postponed to accommodate the completion of renovations in both chambers of the National Assembly.
During Senate President Godswill Akpabio’s address, tensions escalated as Goje and Yau, positioned on the second row on the right side of the aisle, expressed dissatisfaction with their seating assignments, which were determined by the Senate Committee on Services, chaired by Senator Sunday Karimi of Kogi West.
Insisting on seats at the front row on the extreme right, opposite the majority leader and the deputy senate president, both senators, each serving four terms, adamantly argued their case.
Subsequently, Senator Kawu Sumaila representing Kano South raised a “point of order,” which went unheeded. This was followed by Bamidele’s motion for a closed session, currently in progress.
The clash underscores underlying tensions and the significance attributed to seating arrangements within the Senate’s hierarchy, amidst the backdrop of the chamber’s extensive renovation and resumption of legislative activities.
