2 months ago
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The Senate went into an emergency closed-door session on Thursday following a heated disagreement between former Senate President Senator Ahmad Lawan (Yobe North) and current Senate President Godswill Akpabio over a proposal to change the time for plenary.
According to Senate rules, plenary sessions are scheduled to commence at 10 a.m. and conclude by 2 p.m. However, this schedule has frequently been disregarded, with senators often arriving as late as 11 a.m. and extending sessions past the designated 2 p.m.
Thursday’s session, however, saw a proposal to formally amend these rules, shifting the official start time from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele (Ekiti Central) tabled the motion.
In his contribution, Lawan opposed the motion, arguing that the rationale for synchronizing the Senate’s sitting time with that of the House of Representatives lacked sufficient justification.
He contended that starting at 11 a.m. would likely prolong sessions until 3 p.m., encroaching on committee time.
At this point, Akpabio countered Lawan’s assertion, stating that the 11 a.m. start time was a legacy from Lawan’s own tenure as Senate President in the 9th Senate, a claim Lawan took exception to and promptly refuted.
“No, that is not correct!” Lawan insisted, maintaining that the change was impractical.
Intervening, Senator Bamidele highlighted the senators’ numerous engagements, including late-night oversight duties, which made a 10 a.m. start challenging.
But the escalating disagreements prompted Akpabio to call for an emergency closed-door session to address the issue.
Following the closed-door deliberations, the Senate reconvened and passed a motion stipulating that plenary sessions commence at 11 a.m. and conclude by 3 p.m.
In a related development, the Arewa Think Tank cautioned Senate leadership regarding comments on the food crisis, deeming statements suggesting that the food crisis could spark nationwide protests as potentially incendiary.
This was contained in a statement issued yesterday by the Chief Convener of the northern group, Muhammad Alhaji Yakubu.
Recall that former Senate President Ahmad Lawan and Majority Whip Ali Ndume had earlier urged urgent action on rising food prices and electricity tariffs, warning of potential public unrest if these issues were not promptly addressed.
