Rowdy session as PDP, APC senators clash over Akwa Ibom

The Senate was thrown into a rowdy session this morning over the primaries conducted by the All Progressives Congress APC in Akwa Ibom State. Senator Bassey Akpan, PDP member that represents Akwa Ibom North-East senatorial district in the house, had raised a point of order to tell the Senate about how the APC primary conducted in the state was marred by violence and has threatened the peace in Akwa Ibom.

Former Minority Leader and ex-governor of the state, Senator Godswill Akpabio, who recently defected from PDP to APC, raised a point of order apparently to respond to Akpan but was

quickly hushed by Senate President Bukola Saraki, who asked him to move to the seat he was allocated to seat in the senate if he wants to speak.

The Majority Leader and also an APC member, Senator Ahmad Lawan and other APC members, protested, stating that Akpabio could speak from any seat within the chamber.

This led to a heated argument between the APC and PDP senators. During the exchange, Senator Dino Melaye was seen going about, engaging APC senators in a war of words.

Senator Kabiru Marafa and some APC senators also rose to engage Melaye.

Efforts by the Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, to intervene in the matter failed as the chamber became noisy.

Akpabio, who eventually relocated to the seat beside Senator Ali Ndume, demanded an apology from Saraki for allegedly being embarrassed by the Senate President, which the presiding officer denied.

Akpabio and Saraki also had a debate on who allocated the seat to the Akwa Ibom senator.

Akpabio eventually said he would withhold his comment until the chamber had been reconfigured.