Fresh tensions were reported to have surfaced within the leadership of the Nigerian Senate following a disagreement between Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele over Akpabio’s leadership style, according to Daily Trust.
Sources revealed that the clash occurred during Wednesday’s plenary session and was seen by insiders as a sign of deepening friction among key members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Although earlier claims of internal conflict had been downplayed, it was alleged that unresolved grievances dating back to Akpabio’s emergence as Senate President in 2023 had continued to stir resentment, particularly among some principal officers who reportedly felt marginalized by what they considered an overbearing leadership style.
Daily Trust noted that tensions escalated when Akpabio reportedly declared the Senate’s annual recess without prior consultation, surprising many principal officers who believed such a decision ought to have been discussed collectively at the leadership level.
Senators familiar with the matter allegedly said that the situation indicated a growing divide within the Senate leadership. One unnamed senator attributed the conflict to a disagreement over whether the Senate had fulfilled the constitutional mandate of sitting for at least 181 days in the legislative year.
When he was asked if the incident might threaten Akpabio’s leadership, a ranking senator from the Northern region said, “I cannot say for certain, but I can tell you the leadership group does not really support him. There is a bloc of principal officers close to former Senate President Ahmad Lawan—including Senator Bamidele, the Deputy Senate President, and Senator Solomon Adeola.
“They were not in favour of Godswill Akpabio’s emergence. Their original preference was Orji Kalu or Senator Osita Izunaso, but Akpabio was President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s pick to balance South-South representation.”
The source further stated that Akpabio might be facing pressure, but his generosity and ability to build personal alliances made it difficult for anyone to openly challenge his authority. As of the time of reporting, efforts to obtain official comments from the Senate leadership were unsuccessful.
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