Tensions within the upper chamber of Nigeria’s National Assembly reached a boiling point on Wednesday as Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele publicly clashed with Senate President Godswill Akpabio during plenary over what some lawmakers have described as an autocratic leadership style.
The confrontation, which unfolded just before the Senate adjourned for its annual recess, highlighted long-simmering discontent within the red chamber over Akpabio’s handling of internal affairs, especially his alleged failure to consult other principal officers on key decisions.
Sources told Daily Trust that the flashpoint came after Akpabio unilaterally announced the commencement of the recess — a move that caught many top lawmakers off guard.
Several senators expressed frustration that such a major decision was made without prior consultation among the Senate leadership.
“An argument ensued on whether we have completed 181 days or not, and this is something they ought to have discussed among themselves at the leadership level,” a senator familiar with the matter disclosed.
“Akpabio was saying that there will be NEC (National Executive Committee) meeting (of the APC) on Thursday, so we were supposed to sit on Wednesday to close ahead of the NEC meeting. As he was speaking, the Senate Leader stood up and raised a point of order, saying we are constitutionally supposed to sit for 181 days, and from what he sees, we have not completed those days,” the senator added.
Though Bamidele’s point was technically correct, his decision to raise the issue during plenary rather than behind closed doors surprised many lawmakers.
“It was wrong for him to do that in plenary. To be fair, Akpabio showed statesmanship by calmly cautioning him to approach the chair,” another senator noted.
The confrontation triggered further reactions, with Senator Ali Ndume also weighing in.
He criticized the leadership for failing to convene a pre-session meeting to reach consensus before the public announcement.
In response, Akpabio called for an executive session.
However, the closed-door meeting only deepened the internal crisis.
“Ndume’s comment appeared to spark deeper frustrations. Bamidele then publicly expressed his dissatisfaction with Akpabio’s leadership,” a senator revealed.
“When Akpabio began responding, it became obvious that the Deputy Senate President and the Senate Leader were on the same page. Akpabio, however, reminded them of his legislative and executive experience—as a two-term governor, minister, and senator—to justify his handling of the issue.”
Despite the uproar, Akpabio’s position prevailed, and the Senate proceeded on recess after confirming that the House of Representatives was doing the same.
When asked whether the internal dissent could threaten Akpabio’s hold on leadership, a senior northern senator said, “I can’t say for certain, but I can tell you the leadership group doesn’t really support him.
There’s a bloc of principal officers—close to former Senate President Ahmad Lawan—including Bamidele, the Deputy Senate President, and Solomon Adeola. They were not in favour of Akpabio’s emergence. Their original preference was Orji Kalu or Senator Osita Izunaso, but Akpabio was President Tinubu’s pick to balance South-South representation.”
He added, “Akpabio may be under pressure, but he’s also very generous and has built personal alliances. That’s why it’s difficult for anyone to challenge him outright.”
