A budget defence session at Nigeria’s National Assembly was briefly disrupted on Wednesday after a heated verbal exchange between two senior senators from Kano and Ebonyi states.
The disagreement occurred during a joint meeting of Senate and House of Representatives committees on works, where the Minister of Works, David Umahi, was defending his ministry’s 2026 budget.
The session was chaired by Senator Rufai Hanga, the Deputy Minority Whip representing Kano Central, who stood in for the committee chairman, Senator Barinada Mpigi, who was absent.
Tensions rose during the question-and-answer session after Senator Peter Nwaebonyi, the Senate’s Deputy Chief Whip from Ebonyi North, was asked by the chair to conclude his remarks.
Apparently angered by the instruction, Senator Nwaebonyi protested, saying: “You cannot stop me from speaking after allowing Senator Adams Oshiomhole to talk for 15 solid minutes.”
He added: “Please don’t interrupt me because you allowed Senator Oshiomhole to spend not less than 15 minutes to make his remarks, observations and ask questions without any interruption. I’ve barely spent about five minutes and you are telling me to round up.”
The Ebonyi senator further escalated the exchange by asserting his seniority, stating:
“I won’t, and for your information, as a ranking presiding officer, I can take over proceedings of this session from you.”
Senator Hanga immediately rejected the claim, insisting that Mr Nwaebonyi had no authority to take over the session. He struck the gavel and ordered him to stop speaking.
In response, Senator Nwaebonyi said:
“I’m a ranking senator of the ruling party that cannot be ruled against by a minority senator.”
Senator Hanga fired back, telling the chamber that the votes that brought him to the Senate in June 2023 were “10 times higher” than those secured by Senator Nwaebonyi in Ebonyi North.
The confrontation was eventually brought under control following the intervention of senior lawmakers, including Senators Ali Ndume of Borno South and Adamu Aliero of Kebbi Central.
Earlier in the session, Minister Umahi had responded to allegations of poor workmanship on the Abuja–Kaduna–Zaria–Kano road project. He challenged lawmakers to conduct an on-the-spot assessment and declared that he would resign if the project was found to be substandard.
The minister also disclosed that ₦760bn of the ₦3.245trn capital allocation proposed for the Ministry of Works in the 2026 budget is earmarked for new projects across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones. He added that funding for major road projects previously withdrawn by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited would be sourced through domestic market bonds.
While budget defence sessions are a routine part of Nigeria’s legislative process, Wednesday’s exchange highlighted ongoing tensions between lawmakers across party lines.
