Senate President’s Call for Emergency Closed Session

During a plenary session on Tuesday, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, made an unexpected call for an emergency closed session of the Senate.

The move came following a walkout by the Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, after he was ruled out of order by Akpabio.

Reasons Behind the Walkout

Senator Ndume cited order 54 of the Senate Standing Orders and raised a point of order.

In doing so, he expressed his concerns about the Senate President’s approach to handling issues and the need for a more respectful and rules-based process within the chamber.

He emphasized the importance of adhering to the established rules and procedures of the Senate.

Akpabio’s Response and Ruling

In response to Senator Ndume’s points, Senate President Akpabio requested a copy of the Standing Orders.

After obtaining and reviewing the relevant rules, Akpabio stated that order 54 did not support the point raised by Ndume.

Consequently, he ruled Senator Ndume out of order, leading to the Senator’s decision to leave the Senate chamber.

The Emergency Closed Session

Following Senator Ndume’s walkout, there was a quick turn of events. He was contacted by a colleague who urged him to return to the chamber for an executive session.

As a result, an executive session was convened, which was still in progress at the time of this report.

The developments in the Senate highlight differences and tensions within the legislative body, which have led to the call for an emergency closed session to address the ongoing controversy and disagreements.

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