Senate President Godswill Akpabio on Friday cautioned Senators Adams Oshiomhole and Patrick Ndubueze over what he described as a breach of the Senate’s procedural rules during plenary.
The incident occurred while the lawmakers were deliberating on a motion seeking stricter enforcement of compliance with invitations issued by Senate committees to heads of government agencies.
Oshiomhole had sought to introduce an additional prayer to the motion, stating, “The committees of the Senate shall, in line with the provision of the Constitution, recommend to the Senate President who shall be obliged, in line with the Constitution, to issue a bench warrant or warrant of arrest on any agency that defaults. I want that to be specifically stated, and it should be done with decorum.”
Akpabio interrupted him, saying, “When you have additional prayers, you don’t go back into debates. That is the rule of the Senate. Any additional prayer, you move. You are going into debates.”
The Senate President subsequently asked whether the motion had a seconder, after which Ndubueze indicated his support.
However, Akpabio again interrupted the senator while he was speaking, insisting that his responsibility was limited to seconding the motion.
“Sorry, sorry, sorry. Your time is up because…” Akpabio said.
When Ndubueze responded, “I’ve already moved the motion, I’ve already seconded,” Akpabio replied, “Your job is to second. Your job is not to…”
Addressing the senator, the Senate President added, “You’ve been here for three years and you still don’t read the rules. When you have additional prayer, you go to the additional prayer. By that time, debate is over.”
“It is important for you to set a good example. As somebody who has been in the Senate for three years.”
After Ndubueze confirmed that he had seconded the motion, Akpabio proceeded to put it to a voice vote.
“So you have seconded? … Okay, distinguished colleagues, since this motion is already in the rules… Those in support of this motion, say ‘Aye’. Those against, say ‘Nay’. The nays have it,” he declared.
The exchange occurred amid discussions on legislative oversight and the constitutional powers of the Senate to compel heads of ministries, departments and agencies to appear before committees when invited.
The incident is the latest in a series of tense exchanges involving Akpabio and Oshiomhole this week.
On Wednesday, Oshiomhole accused the Senate President of breaching a truce between them after Akpabio referred to a viral video that allegedly showed the Edo North senator massaging a woman’s legs on a private jet.
Akpabio subsequently apologised on the floor, explaining that his comment was in response to another senator’s reference to an earlier dispute over a suspended warrant of arrest, during which Oshiomhole had said a former oil company executive should be brought before the Senate “dead or alive.”
He assured Oshiomhole that the truce remained in place, describing him as “my brother.”
Click the link to watch the video.