The Senate was abuzz on Wednesday after a difference of opinion emerged between two prominent lawmakers Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele and former Chief Whip Orji Uzor Kalu over an alleged plot to impeach Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Bamidele firmly denied that any senator had ever discussed or attempted to remove Akpabio, describing such reports as “baseless fabrications” designed to stir division within the upper chamber.
Addressing the Senate during plenary, the Ekiti Central lawmaker declared that the Red Chamber remains united and focused on national priorities, not internal politics.
“There was no attempt by any of our colleagues, nor any discussion on removing the Senate President,” Bamidele stated. “The Senate is stable — no crisis, no plan to remove anyone. We’ve adopted a zero-tolerance policy for distractions because Nigerians are counting on us to deliver.”
His remarks came less than a day after Kalu told journalists that some senators had indeed made attempts in the past to unseat Akpabio but were stopped by senior members who intervened to protect the Senate’s unity.
“Though there were attempts, we didn’t allow that to happen,” Kalu had said. “We are one big family, and it’s not going to happen. Our focus should be on supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to tackle the country’s economic challenges.”
Kalu, a former Abia State governor, insisted that the Senate’s work must remain “pro-people,” emphasizing that their goal is to make laws that will help Nigerians “eat three times a day.”
The latest disagreement comes against the backdrop of last year’s political tension, when rumours of a northern senators’ conspiracy to remove Akpabio led to an emergency vote of confidence in his leadership in October 2024.
