A rowdy and tense session gripped the Nigerian Senate today as a prominent All Progressives Congress (APC) member, Senator Danjuma Goje (Gombe Central), publicly launched a scathing accusation against the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, claiming he was engaging in “private meetings” during official plenary proceedings.
The dramatic confrontation, reported across major dailies, exposes underlying tensions and deep divisions within the Senate leadership just months into the new legislative session.
The confrontation reportedly occurred as the Senate was attempting to debate a critical national motion.
Senator Goje, a former Governor of Gombe State and a veteran lawmaker, stood up on a point of order and directly challenged the Senate President’s conduct. Goje reportedly asserted that Akpabio was constantly engaging in private, whispered conversations and attending to aides during debates, thereby distracting from the serious business of the chamber.
“Mr. Senate President, you are always having private meetings during the plenary. This is distracting the Senate, and we cannot continue like this,” Goje was quoted as saying.
Goje’s outburst immediately plunged the chamber into pandemonium. Senators loyal to the Senate President raised counter-points of order, leading to shouting matches and disrupting the day’s agenda. The visible disruption highlighted the fact that a significant number of senators backed Goje’s sentiment.
In response to the unprecedented public challenge, Senate President Akpabio attempted to regain control and defend his actions.
Akpabio reportedly asserted that the conversations were necessary consultations related to the proceedings of the Senate itself and were not “private meetings” in the sense of personal business. He maintained that he needed to communicate swiftly with key principal officers to ensure the seamless flow of plenary.
Akpabio eventually ruled Goje out of order and instructed the Senate Clerk to officially expunge the accusation from the legislative record, effectively quashing the debate on his conduct.
The public face-off between Goje and Akpabio is not merely a clash of personalities; it reflects the simmering discontent over the centralization of power within the Senate leadership.
The accusation touches upon broader concerns that the current Senate leadership is running the chamber with a focus on executive collaboration rather than robust, independent legislative debate. Goje’s complaint that consultations are substituting open deliberation is a fundamental challenge to the legislative process.
Both Goje and Akpabio are members of the ruling APC. This confrontation indicates that the internal political settlements that secured Akpabio’s Senate Presidency are fraying, leading to the emergence of a strong internal opposition faction.
Such prolonged disruptions and internal feuds inevitably slow down critical legislative work, including the passage of the budget and the screening of key nominees (like the recently proposed Defence Minister).
The incident serves as a clear warning to the Senate leadership that the era of uncontested plenary control may be over, and they face growing pressure to manage the chamber more transparently and inclusively.
