Nigeria – Nigerian Senators Clash Over Sitting Time.

By Onoja Baba, Abuja, Nigeria

There was a heated disagreement on Thursday among Nigerian lawmakers over the appropriate time to commence Senate sittings, leading to an emergency executive session.

The clash involved Senate President Godswill Akpabio and his predecessor, Senator Ahmed Lawan, as the Senate debated the official start time for plenary sessions.

According to Senate rules, the official commencement time is 10 am. However, sessions often start much later, frequently around 11 am or later, as lawmakers arrive late.

Traditionally, the Senate adjourns with plans to reconvene at 11 am the next legislative day, despite the official start time being 10 am.

As reported by The Tribune, on Thursday, the Senate sought to amend its rules to formalize an 11 am start time. This motion was brought forward by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele.

Lawan opposed the proposal, challenging Akpabio and arguing that synchronizing with the House of Representatives was not a convincing or “scientific” reason. He emphasized that lawmakers were more productive with a 10 am start.

“The explanation that the change was to enable the Senate to synchronize its sitting time with that of the House of Representatives is not saleable to senators,” Lawan stated. He added that an 11 am start would push sessions until 3 pm, overlapping with committee work.

Akpabio countered, reminding Lawan that the 11 am practice was inherited from Lawan’s 9th Senate. Lawan refuted this, stating, “No, that is not correct!” Akpabio suggested that starting at 11 am did not necessarily mean sessions would last until 3 pm, indicating they could end by 1 pm instead.

Senator Bamidele intervened, explaining that senators often had multiple engagements, including oversight duties and committee assignments, making a 10 am resumption challenging.

In an effort to calm the rising tension, Akpabio called for an executive session to address the issues privately.