Senate in rowdy session over Keyamo’s ministerial approval

On Monday, chaos erupted in the Senate during Festus Keyamo’s screening for a ministerial appointment. Senator Darlington Nwokocha raised a constitutional point of order, urging the screening to be postponed.

According to the Nation paper, this was due to Keyamo’s previous disregard for the National Assembly when he served as Minister.

Nwokocha highlighted Keyamo’s refusal to appear before National Assembly committees to explain the utilization of 52 billion naira allocated for the Federal Government’s 774,000 Public Works Programme and how beneficiaries were selected during his tenure as Minister of State for Labour and Employment.

Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe supported Nwokocha’s motion. When Senate President Godswill Akpabio called for a voice vote, the majority of senators responded with a loud “yea,” while a few dissenting voices chanted “nay” at a higher pitch.

The uproar escalated, with senators standing up, leaving their seats, and speaking simultaneously. To restore order, Akpabio invoked a Senate rule stating that when the Senate President is standing, all senators must immediately take their seats and refrain from speaking.

As the senators complied, calm was eventually restored. Akpabio then sought guidance from the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, on the next course of action.

Bamidele proposed that the Senate move into an executive session to discuss the matter, a motion seconded by the Minority Leader, Simon Mwadkwon.

Temmyabbe (
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