The Senate has firmly denied reports of a disagreement between the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, and the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, over the timing of the chamber’s annual recess, describing the story as “entirely false and misleading.”
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, said the alleged clash during a recent executive session was a misrepresentation of standard parliamentary practice.
“Our attention has been drawn to diverse media reports claiming that President of the Senate, His Excellency Godswill Akpabio, GCON, and Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, CON, clashed during an executive session recently convened to deliberate whether the Senate should proceed on annual recess,” Adaramodu stated.
“The reports do not contain any iota of truth. In entirety, they misconstrue time-tested practices and traditions in the parliament worldwide,” he said, adding that such practices include vibrant internal debates and deliberations, which should not be mistaken for discord.
He explained that parliamentary discourse, whether during plenary or behind closed doors is an essential aspect of democracy and governance.
“Members, regardless of their political leanings, leverage the instruments of parliamentary debates, questions, or interpellations to discuss every initiative decisively and eclectically before approval or authorisation,” the statement noted.
Adaramodu stressed that while debates can often be vigorous, they are conducted in the best interest of over 230 million Nigerians and should not be interpreted as signs of division within the Senate leadership.
“Whether in the chamber or committee room, debates on policy issues should not be misconstrued as altercations among members, nor do they suggest any crack in the ranks of the leadership,” he asserted.
“As Nigeria’s highest law-making institution, the Senate will continue to uphold its responsibility to the Nigerian people with commitment and unity,” Adaramodu concluded.
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The clarification followed days of speculation in sections of the media that a heated exchange allegedly occurred between Senate President Akpabio and Senate Leader Bamidele during a closed-door session.
According to some reports, the disagreement was sparked by differing positions on when the upper chamber should commence its annual recess amid pending national matters.
However, sources within the National Assembly have confirmed that although strong views were exchanged during the session, it was not unusual, nor was it personal.
A ranking senator who spoke anonymously said, “The executive session was intense, yes, but that’s what you expect in a serious parliament.
“Some senators felt the recess could wait until a few critical issues were addressed. Others argued we had done enough before the break. But at no point did it devolve into a clash.”
This is not the first time the Senate leadership has had to dismiss claims of internal strife.
Earlier in the 10th Assembly, similar rumours swirled around disagreements over committee appointments and power dynamics among principal officers.
