Akpabio vs. Lawan: Senate goes into closed session over sitting time conflict

4 months ago 79

The Senate quickly entered an executive session on Thursday, July 11, after Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Ahmed Lawan, disagreed over the official sitting time
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele proposed changing the start time to 11 am due to senators' late-night responsibilities, but Lawan opposed the change
To ease the tension in the chamber, Akpabio called for an executive session, while also clarified the situation

FCT, Abuja - The Senate quickly entered an executive session on Thursday following a disagreement regarding the official sitting time of the Red Chamber.

Senate President, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, and his predecessor, Sen. Ahmed Lawan, clashed over the matter.

Senator Ahmed Lawan and the senate president, Godswill Akpabio argue about setting time

According to Senate rules, plenary sessions are supposed to begin at 10 am.

However, it has been nearly impossible to start on time, as lawmakers typically arrive around 11 am or later.

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Often, when the Senate adjourns, it announces reconvening at 11 am the next legislative day, despite the official start time being 10 am, Nigerian Tribune, reported.

On Thursday, a motion by Senate Leader, Sen. Opeyemi Bamidele, proposed amending the rules to change the official sitting time from 10 am to 11 am.

As the Senate prepared to discuss the amendment, Sen. Lawan opposed the change, addressing Akpabio and arguing that the rationale for the amendment was not convincing or "scientific" enough.

He rejected the explanation that the change was to align with the House of Representatives' schedule.

Lawan insisted that unless there were more substantial reasons, the sitting time should remain at 10 am.

He argued that lawmakers had more energy in the early hours, and shifting the time to 11 am could prolong sessions until 3 pm, overlapping with committee meetings, The Punch reported.

Akpabio countered by reminding Lawan that the 11 am start time was inherited from Lawan's 9th Senate. Lawan disagreed, saying, "No, that is not correct!"

Akpabio also clarified that setting 11 am as the official start time would not necessarily extend the length of plenary sessions.

He maintained:

“It doesn’t mean that we must be here till 3pm. It can be by 1pm."

Bamidele intervened, explaining that senators frequently have multiple responsibilities, including oversight duties and committee assignments, often working late into the night, which makes starting at 10 am challenging.

To ease the growing tension in the chamber, Akpabio promptly called for an executive session.