Senate Presidents Akpabio and Lawan Clash Over Official Sitting Time

Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Senate President Ahmed Lawan engaged in a heated argument during Thursday’s plenary session over the official commencement time of the Red Chamber.

According to Senate rules, the designated start time for Senate plenary sessions is 10 am. However, due to habitual lateness among lawmakers, sessions often commence much later, sometimes around 11 am or later.

The Senate, led by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, proposed a motion to formally amend the rules, shifting the official sitting time from 10 am to 11 am. This move was met with opposition from Lawan.

Lawan argued that the reason for changing the sitting time—to align with the House of Representatives—was not convincing or “scientific” enough. He contended that starting earlier at 10 am allowed for more productive sessions when lawmakers were more energetic.

“The explanation that the change was to synchronize with the House of Representatives is not acceptable to senators,” Lawan stated.

He further pointed out that pushing the start time to 11 am would extend sessions until 3 pm, a period when committees should be actively engaged in their work.

In response, Akpabio reminded Lawan that the 11 am practice was inherited from Lawan’s tenure as Senate President in the 9th Senate. Lawan disputed this claim, asserting, “No, that is not correct!”

Akpabio countered that starting at 11 am did not necessarily mean sessions would extend until 3 pm, suggesting they could conclude by 1 pm instead.

As tensions escalated, Senator Bamidele intervened, highlighting that senators often had multiple commitments, such as oversight duties and committee assignments, which frequently kept them working late into the night, thus making a 10 am start challenging.

Responding to the escalating discord, Akpabio called for an emergency executive session to address the issues privately among the senators.