Senate Plenary Session: move to change official proceeding time

In a twist of event at the red chamber, Senate President, Godswill Akpabio has decided to take a crucial action as he and his predecessor, Senator Ahmed Lawan, clashed during Thursday’s plenary session over the official starting time of the Senate proceedings.

Traditionally, Senate rules stipulate a 10 am start for plenary sessions, but in practice, sessions often begin later, around 11 am or even later, due to lateness of lawmakers.

During the session, a motion was presented by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele to formally amend the rules and shift the official start time from 10 am to 11 am. This proposal aimed to align the Senate’s schedule with that of the House of Representatives.

However, Lawan opposed the move, arguing that the rationale for the change lacked scientific justification. He asserted that starting sessions at 10 am was more productive as lawmakers were generally more energetic in the morning hours.

Lawan further contended that pushing the start time to 11 am would extend sessions into 3pm in the afternoon, a period when committees should be actively engaged in their work.

In response, Senate President Akpabio reminded Lawan that the 11 am start time had been established during his (Lawan’s) tenure in the previous 9th Senate. Lawan disputed this, stating it was inaccurate.

Akpabio defended the later start time, suggesting that sessions starting at 11 am could still conclude earlier, possibly by 1 pm, rather than extending until 3 pm as speculated.

As tensions escalated, Senator Bamidele intervened, highlighting the challenges senators faced with multiple responsibilities, including oversight duties and committee assignments that often extended into late hours.

To address the growing tension and disagreements, Akpabio decided to take a swift action. The Senate President immediately called for an emergency executive session, aiming to discuss the matter privately among senators.