The Nigerian Senate has downplayed reports suggesting internal division within its ranks, following media claims of a heated exchange between Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele during a recent executive session.
Widespread reports had alleged that the duo engaged in a near-physical confrontation over whether the Senate should proceed on its annual recess — marking the second such disagreement between them in recent months.
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In a statement on Sunday, Senate spokesperson and Chairman of the Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Yemi Adaramodu, clarified that such incidents are not uncommon in parliamentary settings and should not be misconstrued as signs of a split.
“Our attention has been drawn to diverse media reports claiming that President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio and Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele clashed during an executive session recently convened to deliberate whether the Senate should proceed on annual recess.
“The reports do not contain any iota of truth. In entirety, they misconstrue time-tested practices and traditions in the parliament worldwide,” Adaramodu said.
He emphasized that the robust and sometimes heated debates within legislative chambers are a normal feature of democracy and demonstrate the Senate’s commitment to critical deliberation.
He added, “Every bill, motion and proposal is always subjected to intense scrutiny in our Chamber almost on a daily basis.”
Adaramodu clarified that both plenary and committee sessions are designed for open discourse and that such vigorous exchanges should not be mistaken for personal quarrels or leadership conflicts.
“Whether in the chamber or committee room, debates on policy issues should not be misconstrued as altercations among members, neither do they suggest any crack in the rank of the leadership,” he said.
