***As Two Northern Lawmakers Challenge Senator Opeyemi Over Seating Structure
***Akpabio Dissolves Plenary Into Closed Door Session To Address Grievances
Senators on Tuesday were inches away from fisticuffs over the new seating arrangements in the renovated Red Chambers of the National Assembly.
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The lawmakers complained that the current seating order did not recognize the established ranking culture of the parliament.
Both Chambers of the National Assembly had operated from temporary arrangements since 2022.
Specifically, Senator Sahabi Alhaji Ya’u ‘ (APC Zamfara North) angrily stood up from his seat as he approached the Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (APC Ekiti Central) to lay complaints over the seat allocated to him.
From hushed tones, the conversation quickly degenerated to a shouting match by both men, with other lawmakers joining in the fracas, thereby turning the exchanges into a rowdy session.
During the rowdy session which lasted for about 30 mins, Senator Ya’u angrily pointed his finger at the Leader complaining that the Seat allocated to him at far right of the chamber was not befitting, being a ranking Senator who held the principalvposition of Deputy Minority Whip of the Senate during the 9th National Assembly.
The verbal counter punching between the Leader and Senator Ya’u , festered further when Senator Danjuma Goje ( APC Gombe Central ) joined them.
Goje also complained to the Leader that ranking Senators were not well positioned in the sitting arrangement.
However, in a troubleshooting move, the President of the Senate called on the Leader and aggrieved Senators surrounding him to approach the Chair which they did and eventually paved way for Akpabio to read his welcome address.
After Akpabio’s welcome address an emergency executive session was called for by the leader apparently to diffuse the bottled anger among Senators over the sitting arrangement.
