During the plenary session On Tuesday, October 17, Senate President Godswill Akpabio made an urgent request for a closed-door meeting. During this session, Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, who serves as the Senate’s chief whip, left the chamber after being ruled out of order by Senator Godswill Akpabio.
Senator Ndume had cited order 54 of the Senate Standing Orders in raising a point of order. He expressed his concerns about the way Senate affairs were being conducted, asserting that they did not align with the established rules. Ndume stated, “Mr. President, there are certain actions taking place in this chamber that violate the rules. Nobody is exempt from learning.”
At this juncture, Senator Akpabio intervened and requested a copy of the Standing Orders. He proceeded to read order 54 and concluded that it did not support Senator Ndume’s argument, subsequently deeming him out of order.
In response to the Senate President’s decision, Senator Ndume, visibly upset, collected his papers and left the chamber, heading straight to his office. Later, he received a call from a colleague, urging him to return to the chamber for an executive session.
As of the time of this report, the executive session was still in progress.
Further details will be provided later.