Reports of a confrontation between Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele and Senate President Godswill Akpabio at a recent executive session have been denied by the Senate.
Sen. Yemi Adaramodu, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, called the allegations false and deceptive in a statement released on Sunday.
He maintained that the publications misinterpreted ordinary parliamentary procedures as indications of internal strife.
The statement said, “Many media outlets have reported that Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele fought during a recent executive session that was held to discuss whether the Senate should go on annual recess.
There is not a shred of truth in the reports. All in all, they misrepresent long-standing customs and practices in parliaments around the world, where members, irrespective of their political inclinations, use the tools of parliamentary debates, questions, or interpellations to discuss every initiative in a decisive and diverse manner prior to approval or authorization.
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The Senate spokeswoman noted that heated discussion is still a feature of parliamentary democracy and does not always reflect a lack of unity among members.
The Senate is the highest legislative body in our nation, thus it is not any different. Every bill, motion, and proposal is carefully examined in our Chamber virtually every day, just like in other parliaments.
According to him, “this entails robust debates to which members discuss and dissect every initiative before the Senate purely in the interest of over 230 million Nigerians.”
Adaramodu emphasized that discussions, whether in committee or plenary sessions, should not be interpreted as private disputes or indications of disunity within Senate leadership.
He came to the conclusion that discussions over policy matters, whether in a chamber or a committee room, should not be interpreted as disputes between members or as indicating a weakness in the leadership.
