The Senate was engulfed in chaos on Tuesday when a dispute erupted over seating arrangements, leading to a tumultuous session.
The contention arose when Senators Danjuma Goje of Gombe Central and Sahabi Yau of Zamfara North voiced their dissatisfaction with their designated seats, bringing their grievances to the attention of Opeyemi Bamidele, the Senate Majority Leader.
The chair of the Senate Services Committee, Senator Sunday Karimi of Kogi West, found himself at the center of the dispute.
According to the Senate’s established protocols, the seating order is determined by the senators’ seniority.
The altercation was sparked during the reading of the welcome address by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, with Senators Goje and Yau, seated in the second row on the right, indicating their displeasure with the seating assignments made by the Senate Services Committee.
Asserting their seniority, the senators demanded seats in the front row on the far right, directly across from the seats of the majority leader and the deputy senate president.
This incident unfolded in the newly renovated chamber of the Senate, which had been under refurbishment for the past two years.
