Following a heated verbal altercation between Senator Ali Ndume and Senate President Godswill Akpabio on Thursday, tensions temporarily erupted in the upper house of Nigeria’s National Assembly, prompting the longtime politician to openly express his unhappiness.
Ndume described the incident in an interview that Channels Television aired after the plenary.
The senator, who represents Borno North, called the encounter “unusual” and “embarrassing,” emphasizing that the Senate President’s job is to direct the proceedings rather than to end a debate or limit a member’s ability to contribute.
Ndume said that the Senate President’s mid-speech interference undermined parliamentary discourse and that the disruption happened when he was making a proposal on the Senate floor.
He contends that permitting each elected member to speak without undue intervention is essential to maintaining the integrity of legislative conversation.
The Borno lawmaker further emphasized how shocked he was, citing his extensive parliamentary experience and seniority.
“Everything about the situation was unusual,” Ndume stated. I’ve served in the Senate long enough to know how these sessions ought to function. The Senate President’s job is to lead, not to stop senators from speaking.
He insisted that any question that needs to be clarified should be brought up after a senator finishes, not in the middle.
“Anything I say can be clarified afterward, not during my speech,” he said.
He cautioned that interrupting a senator in the middle of their speech conveys risky information regarding floor privilege.
“I should be able to voice my opinions when I am contributing. It is important to know from the start if a subject is sensitive. He maintained that a senator must speak freely once the floor is granted.
In particular, Ndume denounced statements purportedly made by Akpabio during the interruption.
“It becomes troubling when I am stopped mid-speech with comments like ‘don’t go there,'” he said.
“It should be made clear from the start whether a subject is deemed sensitive. I shouldn’t be instructed to back off once I’ve been given the floor.
“After I’m done, take care of any problems. Not while I’m carrying the baby.
Additionally, the senior member cautioned that, particularly when national problems are being discussed, procedural justice should not appear selective.
“When the floor is offered, it is given. It cannot be reversed midway. “That floor privilege is not exclusive,” he said.
