Walkouts, suspensions, showdowns: Inside the senate clashes shaping Akpabio’s presidency

On different occasions, Senate President Godswill Akpabio has clashed with fellow senators, drawing national attention to the leadership style of the 10th senate.

The disputes have ranged from disciplinary suspensions to stormy walkouts and accusations of bias and harassment.

Let’s take a look at the key flashpoints that have defined his rocky relationship with colleagues.

NDUME’S WALKOUT

Ali Ndume, senator representing Borno south, walked out of plenary in October 2023 after Akpabio ruled him out of order during a debate on a motion.

Ndume accused the senate president of bias and high-handedness in presiding over debates.

Ndume had cited order 54 of the standing rules to draw attention to the manner in which Akpabio presided over the affairs of the senate.

The Borno senator said proceedings under Akpabio were most times not in line with the standing rules of the senate.

“There are some things we do in this chamber that are against our rules,” he said.

“Nobody is too big to learn…”

He had barely aired his thoughts when the senate president ruled him out of order, citing the same section of the rule book.

In July 2024, the All Progressives Congress (APC) asked the Borno senator to vacate his position as chief whip of the senate.

The APC accused Ndume of making hurtful comments against the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

“You have been making uncouth and rabid outbursts against the government before the international community which is not only harmful to the government’s image, but its effort to bring in foreign direct investments (FDIs),” a letter sent to the senate leadership by the party read.

NWOYE’S OUTBURST

In November 2023, Tony Nwoye, senator representing Anambra north, confronted Akpabio after the senate president announced changes in minority leadership.

Nwoye accused Akpabio of treating the minority caucus as “slaves” by imposing leaders on them.

Nwoye made the remark after Akpabio announced Abba Moro and Osita Ngwu as minority leader and minority whip, respectively.

“Are we your slaves? Why will the senate president be picking leaders for us?” Nwoye yelled.

“You have done your worst. You have pushed us to the wall. Meaning what? It is unfair. It is not about me, it is about the institution of the state.”

The outburst sparked a rowdy session, forcing Akpabio to call for calm.

NINGI’S BUDGET ALLEGATION

Abdul Ningi, senator representing Bauchi central, alleged in March 2024 that trillions of naira in budgetary provisions were “smuggled” into the appropriation bill without explanation.

The lawmaker further alleged that “apart from what the national assembly did on the floor, there was another budget that was done underground which we didn’t know”.

Ningi made the comments after the national assembly had passed a budget of N28.7 trillion for the 2024 fiscal year.

President Bola Tinubu had proposed N27.5 trillion, but the lawmakers jerked it up by N1.2 trillion.

The claim threw the chamber into uproar, prompting Akpabio to suspend Ningi after accusing him of spreading falsehood capable of destabilising the country.

Speaking during an open session, Akpabio said the senate has lost the respect of the citizens due to the unverifiable statement made by the senator.

“Nigerians are bashing the senate. Many Nigerians will never in future come back to respect this chamber. The integrity of this chamber has been damaged and we wanted you to repair it with your speech,” the senate president said.

Ningi was later recalled, with Akpabio framing the decision as an appeal to “unity and reconciliation” in the red chamber.

KINGIBE’S PROTEST

In December 2024, Ireti Kingibe, senator representing the FCT, publicly criticised Akpabio’s handling of chamber rules.

Kingibe had walked out of the senate chamber after Akpabio declined to entertain her motion.

Kingibe had earlier notified the senate of her plan to move a motion on the demolition in the FCT, but it was not listed on the order paper on the day she planned to present it.

But Akpabio said the rules allow only one motion on matters of urgent public importance per day.

Kingibe then stormed out of the chamber in anger.

She later returned and apologised for walking out on her colleagues.

Before Kingibe’s action, Akpabio had told Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), not to allow himself to be distracted by the senator.

He said he had watched Kingibe on television complaining that Wike was not carrying her along in the affairs of the FCT.

“I saw one of the legislators on television talking about you (Wike) and mentioning the fact that she was not carried along,” Akpabio said.

“Well, she is a member of the senate. Once a decision is taken, she is bound by the decision.”

AKPOTI-UDUAGHAN’S SUSPENSION

On February 20, Akpoti-Uduaghan engaged the senate president in a heated debate after her seat was changed.

The disagreement began when Akpoti-Uduaghan’s seat was reassigned at the start of plenary, but she refused to comply with the relocation.

The situation escalated as Akpoti-Uduaghan protested, insisting that her parliamentary privileges had been violated.

“I don’t care if I am silenced. I am not afraid of you. You have denied me my privilege,” the Kogi lawmaker said.

Akpoti-Uduaghan later accused Akpabio of sexual harassment — a claim he denied.

Days later, the senate committee on ethics and privileges recommended her suspension for six months on grounds of alleged breaches of parliamentary procedure.

The suspension stripped her of remuneration, security and access to the chamber.

On July 4, the federal high court in Abuja considered the suspension excessive and implored her reinstatement.

On her return to the senate, Akpoti-Uduaghan accused Akpabio of treating her like his domestic staff.

DICKSON’S OUTBURST ON RIVERS EMERGENCY RULE

In March 2025, a confrontation broke out in the senate between Akpabio and Seriake Dickson, senator representing Bayelsa west, over President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of emergency rule in Rivers state.

The row began after Opeyemi Bamidele, senate leader, moved to reorder the order paper to prioritise debate on the emergency declaration.

Dickson raised a point of order to speak but Akpabio resisted, recalling his earlier criticism of the chamber’s handling of the matter.

“Senator Seriake Dickson, let’s not argue. If we do, it won’t be good for any of us. You were a former governor, and I was a former governor. Please turn off your mic and sit down,” Akpabio said.

“I saw you on television. You said the senate will never have your vote.”

Dickson pushed back, stressing his right to be heard.

“Mr Senate President, I have respect for you, and I believe that should be mutual,” he said.

After the heated exchange, the senate entered a closed session to deliberate on Tinubu’s proclamation, which suspended Siminalayi Fubara, Rivers state governor, Ngozi Odu, his deputy, and all elected state lawmakers.

Addressing the media later, Dickson took exception to the way the senate president addressed him during plenary.

He said Akpabio tried to silence him when he made attempts to raise a point of order for the senate to go into an executive session.

“As I said on the floor, the senate president was very unfair to me by trying to censor my freedom of expression and by deliberately misrepresenting the import of what I said in the broadcast yesterday which was the same thing I said on the floor today,” he said.

REACTIONS

But Akpabio’s supporters and associates have argued that the senate president has enforced discipline and safeguarded decorum in the chamber.

Jackson Udom, special assistant on media to Akpabio, said the clashes in the red chamber have nothing to do with the leadership style of his principal.

“The senate president operates an open administration which involves everybody,” Udom told TheCable.

“He is not running the senate as his personal property. He consults with his colleagues. So, anybody saying those things is being economical with the truth.

“Nobody clashes with the senate president; senators clash with the senate. It has nothing to do with the leadership style of Akpabio, he is just the first among equals.

“He doesn’t take a decision on his own. He rules when the senators decide, whether yes or no.”

Critics, however, say the frequent disputes show lawmakers are prioritising politics over governance.

“When you see the legislative arm having constant battles, not based on governance, but on mundane issues between the legislators and the leadership, that tells you there is a fundamental problem in understanding their role and responsibility,” Abdulrazaq Hamzat, policy analyst and executive director of the Foundation for Peace Professionals, told TheCable.

“The engagement they have is not about governance itself. It is personality in government, ego, sometimes seeking undue privileges, sometimes lording yourself over issues not based on the superiority of an idea or policy direction, but simply because you want everybody to be coerced into a particular direction.

“So, those constant battles are not good for our democracy and we need to rethink them.”

As the general election draws the near and political activities are building up, the floor of the upper legislative chamber might become more dramatic as the lawmakers debate on policies, bills and other issues of national interest.

Nevertheless, Akpabio’s leadership style in handling the senate will go a long a way in defining its presidency and how it will be viewed in history.