The Senate’s resumption of plenary on Tuesday was marred by a rowdy session as senators clashed over seating arrangements in the newly renovated chamber.
The chaos erupted after Senate President GodsWill Akpabio read out announcements, including birthday greetings to lawmakers.
Senator Sahabi Yau (APC, Zamfara North) began shouting at Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central), who responded with a stern warning. Danjuma Goje (APC, Gombe Central) joined Yau in protesting the seating arrangements, which had allocated some ranking senators to seats on the last right side of the aisle.
The commotion lasted about 20 minutes, with senators bickering and refusing to back down. Senate President Akpabio tried to intervene, asking senators to approach the chair one by one, but Yau refused. The session eventually ended with the Senate moving into a closed-door executive session at 12:05 pm.
The Senate had adjourned plenary on March 20 and postponed resumption twice to allow for the completion of the chamber renovation, which began in 2022.
The newly renovated chamber was meant to provide a more comfortable and conducive environment for lawmakers, but instead, it sparked a bitter fight over seats.
