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According to Daily Trust, a dispute between Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele on Akpabio’s management style has led to new tensions within the Nigerian Senate’s leadership.

Insiders interpreted the altercation, which took place during Wednesday’s plenary session, as an indication of growing hostility amongst important members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). It was claimed that unresolved grievances dating back to Akpabio’s election as Senate President in 2023 had continued to incite resentment, especially among some principal officers who reportedly felt marginalized by what they perceived as an overbearing leadership style, despite earlier claims of internal conflict being downplayed.

According to ZINGTIE, tensions increased when Akpabio allegedly announced the Senate’s annual recess without first consulting any principal officers, which surprised many of them who thought the matter should have been considered jointly at the leadership level.

According to senators with knowledge of the situation, it showed a widening rift among Senate leadership. According to an unidentified senator, the dispute sprang from a debate about whether the Senate had met its constitutional need to convene for at least 181 days during the legislative year.

Regarding if the event could jeopardize Akpabio’s leadership, a Northern ranking senator responded, “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 insider added that although Akpabio might be under pressure, it was hard for anyone to openly question his authority because of his generosity and capacity to form personal relationships. Attempts to reach Senate leadership for official comments were unsuccessful at the time of reporting.

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