Throwback: The 2018 Senate Seating Dispute Between Akpabio and Saraki

At the October 17, 2018, Senate plenary, then-President Bukola Saraki and Godswill Akpabio, who represented Akwa Ibom North-West, got into a heated argument over seating arrangements, causing mayhem in the upper house.
After Albert Akpan, the senator for Akwa Ibom North-East, accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of plotting to sabotage the state’s 2019 gubernatorial election, the altercation broke out.
Sen. Ali Ndume’s microphone was broken, so Akpabio, eager to answer, tried to use the one near his seat.

However, Saraki denied him permission and told him to relocate to a different seat that the Senate clerk had designated for him and had a working microphone.
When Akpabio insisted on utilizing Ndume’s microphone, it caused a stir and chaos in the chamber.

Amidst the commotion, the Senate clerk disclosed that Akpabio had previously been presented with a seat that had a functional microphone, but had chosen to take one without.

After the contentious meeting, Akpabio went farther and demanded Saraki’s resignation in an address to reporters, claiming that the APC had won the Senate majority.

Only a few months had passed since Akpabio joined the APC and left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Remarkably, a same argument occurred on Thursday over yet another change in seating arrangements, this time between Kogi Central senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and Akpabio, who is now Senate President.

Notably, Akpoti-Uduaghan interrupted the plenary session by altering her seating arrangement without permission.

Chief Whip Senator Mohammed Ali Monguno reportedly brought up the issue of what he called Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s “improper seating position” during a session that was being supervised by Akpabio.

A loud altercation broke out between Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan and Monguno before he could complete his remarks. The Sergeant-at-Arms had to step in and try to remove her out of the room.