By Charles Pemu 
ABUJA – The Nigerian Senate has vehemently denied claims of internal rifts, particularly within its leadership, strongly refuting reports of a clash between Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele during a recent executive session. The alleged confrontation was said to have occurred during deliberations over the Senate’s annual recess.
In a statement personally signed by Senator Yemi Adaramodu (APC, Ekiti South), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, the reports were dismissed as containing “no iota of truth.”
“The reports do not contain any iota of truth. In entirety, they misconstrue time-tested practices and traditions in the parliament worldwide,” Senator Adaramodu stated. He emphasized that parliaments universally engage in robust debates, questions, and interpellations to discuss initiatives decisively, irrespective of political leanings.
Adaramodu asserted that the Nigerian Senate, as the nation’s highest law-making institution, operates similarly. He clarified that every bill, motion, and proposal undergoes intense scrutiny and robust debates in the chamber almost daily, with discussions purely focused on the interest of over 230 million Nigerians.
“Whether in the chamber or committee room, debates on policy issues should not be misconstrued as altercations among members, neither do they suggest any crack in the rank of the leadership,” the statement concluded, urging the public and media to understand the nature of parliamentary proceedings.