Akpabio shuts fellow Senator, Seriake Dickson, down from speaking over Tinubu’s Rivers emergency rule

By KEMI KASUMU and OUR REPORTER, Abuja

“We are all distinguished people. You were a former governor, and I was a former governor. Please turn off your mic and sit down.”

President of the Nigerian Senate, God’swill Akpabio, shuts his fellow colleague from the South South down as he asks him to off his mic and sit down because he strongly opposed to declaration of state of emergency in the manner President Bola Ahmed Tinubu did in Rivers State.

The situation degenerated into heated argument on the floor of the red chamber during plenary over the provision of Senate rules regarding the handling of the President Tinubu’s emergency rule declared in the affected state.

The DEFENDER reports that Senator Bamidele Opeyemi, Leader of the Senate, had on Thursday March 20, 2025 moved a motion to re-order the Order Paper to allow the Senate handle the debate on the state of emergency in Rivers before going on to other motions itemized for legislative action.

As Bamidele, an Ekiti State Senator, stood to point out the order, Senator Dickson raised a point of order, which Akpabio was hesitant to oblige.

Rather than giving Dickson the floor, Akpabio, in what looked like carried over aggression, reminded him of how the former Governor of Bayelsa State had gone on television to say he wouldn’t support the Senate on the state of emergency in Rivers.

That utterance by Akpabio further created a scar to the image of the Nigerian Senate as it is currently like where an elected member is not allowed freedom of expression even on the television.

While Dickson insisted on getting Akpabio’s attention through a point of order, the Senate President asked him to put off his mic and sit down, according to the television broadcaster monitored by The DEFENDER in Abuja on Thursday.

God’swill Akpabio is the former Governor of Akwa Ibom State and defected Senate Minority Leader (PDP), whose imposition by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had been described from his day one in office as one to enable the president have his way without check, which critics had said portend an unrestricted.

Akpabio said, “Senator Seriake Dickson, let’s not argue. If we argue, it won’t be good for any of us.

“We are all distinguished people. You were a former governor, and I was a former governor. Please turn off your mic and sit down. I watched you on television. You said whatever the Senate does, the Senate will never go with you.

“I said you said whatever the Senate does, the Senate will never have your vote.

“I don’t know but if you have already made up your mind to go on television when the Senate has not done anything or considered any issue, I am not arguing with you, but I say, please allow me to preside.”

Reacting, Dickson said, “Mr Senate President, you know we must have mutual respect for all our colleagues, and I do have regard for you, particularly, as our presiding officer and I think that should be reciprocal.”

He maintained that his point of order was to draw the senators’ attention to the provision requiring them to break into a closed-door meeting first.