Something unexpected happened in the Senate on Tuesday. The President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, and the Chief Whip, Senator Ali Ndume, got into a heated argument over a motion about reopening the Nigeria-Benin Republic border.
The argument got so intense that it almost turned into a big fight! To calm things down, the Senate President decided to have a private meeting that lasted for hours.
The motion about the border, brought up by Senator Summaila Kawu, didn’t have a specific title. Senator Ndume noticed this and raised a Point of Order to correct what he saw as an “error”.
Senator Ndume tried to correct the alleged error just 10 minutes into the meeting, but the Senate President refused to let him. He said that once a decision is made, it can’t be changed.
Senator Sunday Karimi also tried to support Senator Ndume’s argument, but the Senate President shut him down too.
Deputy Senate President, Senator Jibrin Barau, stepped in and read a rule that said a Senator can only correct or review a decision if they make a formal motion.
Senator Ndume, still determined to correct the “error”, raised another point, but the Senate President shut him down once more without letting him fully explain.
Angry and frustrated, Senator Ndume left the chamber in a hurry, packing up his documents as he stormed out.
