Clash of Senate principal officers stalls works budget defence

Umahi challenges lawmakers to inspect projects, vows to resign if found wanting

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From Adesuwa Tsan, Abuja

A routine budget defence session at the National Assembly on Wednesday descended into a heated confrontation as the Deputy Whip of the Senate, Senator Peter Nwaebonyi (APC, Ebonyi North), and the Deputy Minority Whip, Senator Rufai Hanga (NNPP, Kano Central), exchanged sharp words over what appeared to be a clash of authority and perceived superiority.

The session, a joint sitting of the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Works with the Federal Ministry of Works, was proceeding calmly under the chairmanship of Senator Hanga, who was presiding in his capacity as vice chairman, standing in for the committee chairman, Senator Mpigi Barinada (PDP, Rivers South-East), who was absent.

The calm, however, was shattered when Senator Nwaebonyi, while delivering remarks largely in praise of the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, urged lawmakers to support the ministry’s proposals. As his comments stretched on, Senator Hanga interjected, urging him to conclude in the interest of time.

That caution immediately sparked outrage.

“You cannot stop me from speaking after allowing Senator Adams Oshiomhole to talk for 15 solid minutes,” Nwaebonyi snapped. “Please don’t interrupt me. Senator Oshiomhole spoke for not less than 15 minutes without interruption. I’ve barely spent five minutes and you are telling me to round up. I won’t.”

In a further escalation, Nwaebonyi asserted his seniority, declaring: “For your information, as a ranking presiding officer, I can take over proceedings of this session from you.”

The remark drew an equally sharp response from Senator Hanga, who rejected the claim and firmly ruled him out of order, striking the gavel and instructing him to stop speaking.

The gavel strike only deepened the tension. Visibly enraged, Nwaebonyi accused Hanga of wielding undue authority, framing the dispute along party lines.

“I am a ranking senator of the ruling party and cannot be ruled against by a minority senator,” he said.

Hanga shot back instantly, countering the implied hierarchy with an electoral comparison. He told the chamber that the votes that brought him to the Senate in June 2023 were “ten times higher” than those Nwaebonyi secured in Ebonyi North, further inflaming the exchange.

The confrontation briefly threw the session into disorder before senior lawmakers, including Senator Ali Ndume (APC, Borno South) and Senator Adamu Aliero (APC, Kebbi Central), stepped in to calm frayed nerves and restore order.

Earlier in the session, Minister of Works David Umahi had himself raised the stakes, dramatically challenging lawmakers over allegations of substandard work on the Abuja–Kaduna–Zaria–Kano highway. In a bold move, Umahi invited committee members to carry out on-the-spot assessments of the project, vowing to step aside if the work was found wanting.

“I will resign if the project is not up to standard,” Umahi declared, underscoring his confidence in the ministry’s supervision and delivery.

Breaking down the ministry’s ₦3.245 trillion capital allocation in the 2026 budget, Umahi disclosed that ₦760 billion was earmarked for new projects across the six geopolitical zones. He explained that these projects were separate from the four ongoing legacy projects, as well as the newly added Akwanga–Jos–Bauchi–Gombe–Maiduguri road corridor.

He further revealed that the estimated ₦7 trillion required to complete critical road projects previously funded by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) would now be sourced through domestic market bonds, assuring lawmakers of the ministry’s commitment to sustaining infrastructure development.

Despite the dramatic clash, proceedings eventually resumed, though the sharp exchange left a lingering reminder of the simmering tensions that can erupt beneath the formal rituals of parliamentary oversight.