Akpabio and Bamidele’s exchange not indicative of division – Senate
Akpabio and Bamidele’s exchange not indicative of division – Senate
The Senate has dismissed reports of a purported clash between Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele during a recent executive session.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Yemi Adaramodu, addressed the issue in a statement on Sunday, describing the claims as unfounded and misleading.
The clarification comes in response to a report alleging a heated exchange between Akpabio and Bamidele during the Senate’s executive session held on Tuesday, July 23, 2025.
The report claimed that both leaders clashed over alleged internal wrangling within the Senate, with suggestions of growing discontent among senators about Akpabio’s leadership style and decision-making approach.
The executive session, usually held behind closed doors, was said to have featured sharp disagreements, prompting speculation about possible divisions in the Senate leadership.
Denying the claims, Adaramodu said no altercation occurred, adding that what took place was a routine internal discussion, which was being wrongly framed as a power tussle.
He stated that the Senate remained united and fully supportive of its leadership, stressing that robust debates during executive sessions were not unusual and should not be mistaken for conflict.
Adaramodu insisted that the reports misrepresented standard legislative processes as signs of internal discord.
The Senate has addressed recent media reports alleging a clash between Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele during a closed-door executive session convened to discuss whether the Senate should proceed on its annual recess.
In a statement, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Yemi Adaramodu, described the claims as completely false and misleading. “Our attention has been drawn to various media reports claiming that the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, and the Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, clashed during an executive session recently convened to deliberate on whether the Senate should proceed on its annual recess. These reports lack any element of truth,” the statement read.
Adaramodu emphasized that the reports misrepresented the standard legislative practices observed in parliaments across the world, where debates
