Tensions flared in the Nigerian Senate on Thursday as Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Senator Seriake Dickson locked horns over President Bola Tinubu’s state of emergency declaration in Rivers State.
The heated exchange erupted when Senator Bamidele Opeyemi moved a motion to reorder the Order Paper, prioritizing the debate on the emergency before other legislative matters. However, Dickson raised a point of order, which Akpabio appeared reluctant to acknowledge.
Instead, the Senate President called out Dickson for allegedly opposing the Senate’s position on the matter in a recent television appearance.
“Senator Seriake Dickson, let’s not argue. If we argue, it won’t be good for any of us,” Akpabio warned. “You were a former governor, and I was a former governor. Please turn off your mic and sit down. I watched you on television. You said whatever the Senate does, the Senate will never have your vote.”
In response, Dickson pushed back, emphasizing the need for mutual respect. “Mr. Senate President, you know we must have mutual respect for all our colleagues. I do have regard for you as our presiding officer, and I think that should be reciprocal,” he asserted.
He insisted that the Senate should first break into a closed-door session, as per procedural rules, before deliberating on the emergency declaration.
With emotions running high, the clash underscores the deep divisions within the Senate over Tinubu’s intervention in Rivers, setting the stage for a fierce legislative battle ahead.
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