Goje confronts Akpabio over repeated side meetings during Senate plenary

From Adesuwa Tsan, Abuja

A brief drama unfolded on the floor of the Senate on Tuesday after Gombe Central senator, Danjuma Goje, openly challenged Senate President Godswill Akpabio for repeatedly stalling proceedings to hold private discussions with selected lawmakers during plenary.

Mr Akpabio entered the chamber at about 12:10 p.m. while Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin was presiding and immediately took over the session as senators considered scheduled bills.

Barely 10 minutes later, he beckoned Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele for a private conversation at the presiding seat.

What began as a quiet exchange quickly escalated, as other senators, including Asuquo Ekpenyong, Adamu Aliero, Jimoh Ibrahim, Titus Zam and Deputy Senate President Barau, moved towards the Senate President’s desk. Their movement brought plenary to a halt for more than 40 minutes.

With lawmakers scattered across the chamber holding side conversations and the floor descending into near-chaos, Goje protested what he described as an “unparliamentary” disruption.

Citing Order 55 of the Senate Standing Rules, which bars interruptions to proceedings, the former governor warned Mr Akpabio against turning plenary into a venue for private caucuses.

“Interaction not allowed… what is happening now is unparliamentary. What you’re doing now is unparliamentary,” Mr Goje said pointedly. “You should have taken this meeting outside. Everything is at a standstill now. We’re not doing our actual business. We should go on recess; when we’re ready, we’ll come back and meet you.”

In response, Mr Akpabio defended his action, saying the discussions were necessary because those gathered had been invited to deliberate on an urgent assignment set for 1 p.m. at the Presidential Villa.

“Everybody that you’re seeing here was invited by the chair for a brief discussion… in line with the order you’ve just read, whether or not we should proceed in view of a very urgent assignment at the Villa by 1 o’clock,” he said.

The Senate President then asked Goje to approach the chair and join the meeting—an offer the Gombe senator declined.

“I don’t want to be part of it,” he replied curtly.

Akpabio has on several occasions paused plenary or kept senators waiting while he holds private consultations at the presiding seat, an action many lawmakers privately complain violates parliamentary procedure.

Tuesday’s incident was one of the rare moments a senator confronted him openly on the floor.