The Senate has dismissed reports alleging a confrontation between the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, and the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, during a recent executive session.
In a statement released on Sunday, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, described the reports as baseless, misleading, and a misrepresentation of standard parliamentary practice.
The reports in question claimed that a heated exchange occurred between Akpabio and Bamidele during an executive session of the Senate held on Tuesday, July 23, 2025. The session was said to have featured sharp disagreements stemming from alleged internal tensions, including growing dissatisfaction among senators regarding Senator Akpabio’s leadership style and approach to decision-making.
Adaramodu, however, refuted these claims, stating that no such altercation took place. He clarified that the meeting was a routine executive session marked by internal deliberations, which are common in any functioning legislature.
“Our attention has been drawn to diverse media reports claiming that the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, and Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, clashed during an executive session recently convened to deliberate whether the Senate should proceed on annual recess,” Adaramodu said. “The reports do not contain any iota of truth. In entirety, they misconstrue time-tested practices and traditions in the parliament worldwide.”
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He explained that parliamentary debates, even when robust, are a hallmark of democratic engagement and should not be interpreted as personal conflict. According to him, such vigorous deliberation is essential in scrutinizing motions, bills, and proposals in the interest of over 230 million Nigerians.
“The Senate, as our country’s highest law-making institution, is not different in any way. Like other parliaments, every bill, motion and proposal is always subjected to intense scrutiny in our Chamber almost daily,” he said.
Adaramodu stressed that debates within both plenary and committee sessions are aimed at ensuring legislative quality and accountability, not an indication of disunity or leadership struggles.
“Whether in the chamber or committee room, debates on policy issues should not be misconstrued as altercations among members, nor do they suggest any crack in the rank of the leadership,” he concluded.
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