Senate Rules Drama: Akpabio Publicly Rebukes Oshiomhole, Tells Ndubueze “You’ve Been Here 3 Years and Still Don’t Know the Rules”

Senate Rules Drama: Akpabio Publicly Rebukes Oshiomhole, Tells Ndubueze “You’ve Been Here 3 Years and Still Don’t Know the Rules”

Senate President Godswill Akpabio on Friday cautioned Senators Adams Oshiomhole and Patrick Ndubueze over what he described as a breach of the Senate’s procedural rules during plenary.

The incident occurred while the Senate was considering a motion calling for stricter enforcement of compliance with invitations issued by Senate committees to heads of government agencies.

Oshiomhole, while contributing to the motion, proposed an additional prayer urging Senate committees to recommend the issuance of bench warrants or arrest warrants against agencies that fail to honour invitations.

Akpabio interrupted him, reminding the senator that additional prayers should be moved separately and not introduced during debate.

When Ndubueze rose to second the motion, Akpabio also stopped him, insisting that his role was only to second the motion.

Akpabio told Ndubueze: “You’ve been here for three years and you still don’t read the rules. When you have additional prayer, you go to the additional prayer. By that time, debate is over.”

He further urged the senator to “set a good example” as someone who had spent three years in the Senate.

The Senate President subsequently put the motion to a voice vote.

The exchange came amid discussions on legislative oversight and the Senate’s constitutional powers to compel the attendance of heads of ministries, departments and agencies that fail to honour invitations from its committees.

The incident follows a tense exchange between Akpabio and Oshiomhole earlier in the week. On Wednesday, Oshiomhole accused the Senate President of violating a truce between them after Akpabio referenced a viral video allegedly showing the Edo North senator massaging a woman’s legs on a private jet.

Akpabio later apologised on the floor, explaining that his comment was in response to another senator’s reference to an earlier disagreement involving a shelved arrest warrant. He also reassured Oshiomhole that their truce remained intact, describing him as “my brother.”