Senate Debunks Claims of Internal Rift Between Akpabio and Bamidele

Reports of an altercation between Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele and Senate President Godswill Akpabio at a recent executive session have been denied by the Senate.
Senator Yemi Adaramodu, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, called the allegations false and deceptive in a statement released on Sunday.
The reports, he maintained, distorted ordinary parliamentary procedures as evidence of internal strife.

“Our attention has been drawn to various media reports that state that Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele fought during an executive session recently held to discuss whether the Senate should proceed on annual recess,” the statement said.

“There is not a shred of truth in the reports. All together, they misrepresent long-standing customs and practices in parliaments around the world, where members, irrespective of their political inclinations, use the tools of parliamentary debates, questions, or interpellations to discuss every initiative in a decisive and diverse manner prior to approval or authorization.

The Senate spokeswoman said that heated debate is still a feature of parliamentary democracy and does not reflect a lack of unity among members.

As the highest legislative body in our nation, the Senate is not any different. Every bill, motion, and proposal is examined closely in our Chamber virtually every day, just like in other parliaments.

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“This calls for vigorous discussions in which members examine and evaluate each proposal that comes before the Senate solely for the benefit of more than 230 million Nigerians,” he stated.

Whether in plenary or committee meetings, Adaramodu emphasized that the discussions should not be interpreted as private disputes or indications of disunity among Senate leadership.

He came to the conclusion that policy debates, whether in a chamber or a committee room, should not be interpreted as disputes between members or as indicating a weakness in the leadership.