The Nigerian Senate was on Wednesdy plunged into a rowdy session after Senate President Bukola Saraki refused to allow Sen. Godswill Akpabio (APC – Northwest) speak from a seat not allocated to him.
This followed a point of order by Sen. Bassey Akpan, (PDP – Akwa Ibom Northeast), who accused the APC of attempting to cause trouble in the state with its contentious primaries.
Akpabio, who recently defected from the PDP to the APC, attempted to reply to Sen. Akpan’s comments.
The former Minority Leader, who was sitting beside Sen. Ali Ndume (APC – Borno South), tried to reply using the microphone attached to Ndume’s seat as the one attached to his seat was not working.
However, Saraki refused to entertain Akpabio’s comments, urging him to return to the seat “assigned to” him.
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Since his defection, Akpabio’s seat as Minority Leader has since been taken over by Sen. Biodun Olujimi (PDP – Ekiti South).
Responding, the Majority Leader, Sen. Ahmed Lawan protested the Senate President’s statement, saying that Akpabio could speak from any seat within the chamber.
This plunged the chamber into a rowdy session as lawmakers from both major parties engaged in a shouting match.