Drama in senate as Abaribe walks out over June 12 hero

Abaribe fired back, insisting that senators must be allowed to make personal explanations when proposing motions or bills.

Tensions rose in the senate on Wednesday as Sen. Eyinnaya Abaribe (APGA,  Abia south) clashed with the leader of the senate, Sen. Opeyemi Bamidele, over a motion to immortalise the late Professor Humphrey Nwosu and the significance of June 12 in Nigeria’s democratic journey.

During plenary, Sen. Abaribe came under Order 41 and 51 seeking the senate’s approval to honour the late Nwosu, a former chairman of the National Electoral Commission (NEC), who oversaw the historic June 12, 1993, presidential election widely regarded as Nigeria’s freest and fairest.

The senator proposed a motion to recognise both Nwosu and the landmark date in Nigeria’s democratic history.

Senate leader raises procedural concerns

However, Sen. Opeyemi Bamidele, the senate leader, raised a procedural objection. He flagged the motion suggesting it did not align with the required legislative process.

In his explanation, Bamidele, said that the motion would not pass since Abaribe was late at citing another senate order.

He said: “Mr President, the reason I’m doing this is for me to be able to emphasise that we had gone past sub-one up to nine of our order of the day.

“And as a matter of fact, by now we’re supposed to be on the second business of the day. So time for matters of urgent public importance, as well as time for personal explanation have already passed. 

“My advice, Mr President, I’m saying, personal explanation cannot be raised at any time. 

“The only time personal explanation can be raised at any time, is, if we, by our own collective consent, come under Order 1b, to regulate our procedure.

“Dear colleagues, the reference to Section 1b cannot cure the lacuna here. We have our order paper for today. 

“It’s even the fact that, if the senate has taken a position on a matter, if you still want to insist on bringing it back, you have to come by way of substantive motion on the next legislative day.

“This will be by way of substantive motion, motion for recision of decision. That’s my position,” he said.

In a contrary opinion, Sen. Yahaya Abdullahi (PDP, Kebbi North) said “Let us not establish a very dangerous precedence. 

“Point of Order and Personal Explanation can be raised at any time. Don’t make it a rule; because if you do so, then you will be denying a lot of us, even the entire Senate, any opportunity to interject and intervene when things are going wrong.”

The motion was however turned down after a voice vote by the Deputy Senate President, Jibrin Barau,  who presided over plenary.

Not backing down, Abaribe fired back, insisting that senators must be allowed to make personal explanations when proposing motions or bills.

In his argument, Abaribe said, “Mr President, I don’t know what is controversial for immortalising the late Humphrey Nwosu.

“What is controversial there? That is our problem. What is controversial there? It’s not controversial,” he said.

According to him, stifling such opportunities for personal explanation could signal a slide towards dictatorship.

He said, “Even if the senate leader says that it doesn’t follow, by the fact that a senator wants to make a personal explanation, you must give that senator a chance to make that personal explanation, we are not under a dictatorship.”

His motion remained overruled and he was told to bring it up through a motion on another legislative day. At this point, Abaribe walked out of the chamber angrily.

Deputy Senate President clarifies the confusion

Stepping in, the Deputy President of the Sen. Barau Jibrin offered clarification on the procedural mix-up. He reminded the chamber of earlier discussions about the motion’s placement under Order 41 and 51 which was initially agreed upon.

Barau revealed that Abaribe had approached him privately to raise the motion under those specific orders but later switched to Order 52, leading to confusion.

“When we came this morning, you approached me with respect to bring forth this motion under order 41 and 51, you never told me you were bringing it under order 52.

“When it came under Order 41 and 51, it was defeated, now you changed your mind to bring it under order 52.

“We agreed that Abaribe is bringing a motion under order 41 and 51 which we agreed but leader, did I tell you that he was going to bring the motion under Order 42? I want to be transparent and plain, you didn’t tell me.”

Remembering Professor Humphrey Nwosu

Professor Humphrey Nwosu, who presided over Nigeria’s pivotal 1993 presidential election, passed away recently at the age of 83 in a United States hospital on March 1.

The current Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, had earlier urged the federal government to honour Nwosu posthumously.

He will be buried on Friday March 28 in his village in Anambra State.