Senators clash over seats in Nigerian Senate session

The Nigerian Senate witnessed a tumultuous session marked by clashes among senators over seating arrangements.

During the session, Senators Danjuma Goje of Gombe Central and Sahabi Yau of Zamfara North expressed dissatisfaction with their allocated seats, leading to a dispute with Majority Leader Opeyemi Bamidele.

The altercation occurred as Senate President Godswill Akpabio was delivering his welcome message after the extended five-week Easter and Sallah break, necessitated by renovation works in the federal legislative chambers.

Despite efforts to maintain decorum, tensions escalated, leading to a proposal for a closed-door session by Bamidele.

The plenary was subsequently postponed for a week, rescheduling it to May 7th, to address final adjustments to the newly reconstructed Chamber.

This decision comes in response to a heated session among senators on Tuesday, concerning the seating arrangement in the recently renovated Senate chamber of the National Assembly.

According to Senate norms, seating is typically arranged based on seniority. However, Goje and Yau, seated in the second row on the right side, contested the seats assigned to them by the Senate Committee on Services, chaired by Senator Sunday Karimi of Kogi West.

Arguing that they deserved front-row seats on the extreme right, facing the majority leader and deputy senate president, the veteran senators voiced their objections.

In response, Senator Kawu Sumaila of Kano South raised a “point of order,” though it was dismissed. Following the commotion, Bamidele proposed a closed-door session, which the senators unanimously agreed to.