A rowdy session erupted in the Senate on Tuesday, December 2, after Senator Danjuma Goje confronted Senate President Godswill Akpabio over what he described as unparliamentary conduct during plenary. The chamber had already settled into proceedings when Akpabio entered and took over from Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau, who had been presiding. Shortly after assuming the seat, Akpabio summoned Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele and several other senators to the chair for a side discussion a move that immediately angered Goje. Raising a point of order, Goje cited Order 55 (12) (a) of the Senate Standing Orders, which states that interactions are not allowed during plenary except for officially moving business. He told Akpabio: Interaction is not allowed except to move the business that we have been called upon to do. Mr Senate President, what you are doing is unparliamentary. You are disturbing the business of the Senate. You cannot be holding a separate meeting when the Senate is in session. Akpabio asked Goje to approach the chair, but the former Gombe State governor refused, insisting he would not join what he believed was an improper action. Goje doubled down, saying: What you are doing here is unparliamentary. You should have done this outside. When we come to the Parliament, we do parliamentary business. Everything is at standstill now. We are not doing business. Akpabio responded with a brief noted, prompting Goje to retort: Noted but not sustained? Attempts by the Senate President to calm tensions failed, with Goje insisting the senators clustered around the chair should leave there so that the Senate will move on. Akpabio conceded he would ask them to return to their seats but again urged Goje to join the conversation. Goje declined: I dont want to be part of it. Im opposed to this one. I will not come. Its unparliamentary. Its wrong. To explain the situation, Akpabio told the chamber that the brief meeting was to determine whether plenary could proceed in view of a scheduled Armed Forces Remembrance Emblem launch at the Presidential Villa at 1 p.m., which he said required his immediate attention. The disruption left plenary stalled for more than half an hour before normal business eventually resumed.
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