Senate Leader tackles Akpabio over Senate, House superiority

The Senate Leader, Senator Ahmad Lawan (APC, Yobe), yesterday engaged the Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio (APC, Akwa-Ibom), over which of the chambers of the National Assembly is superior.

The trouble started when the Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah (APC, Kebbi), while explaining the powers of the National Assembly in appropriation, said the Senate and House were of equal status.

Na’Allah’s statement forced Akpabio to raise a point of order, saying the Senate was superior to the House in terms of status.

He said it was in recognition of the superiority of the Senate to the House that the constitution gave additional responsibilities to it.

“The constitution assigns additional responsibility to the Senate and excluded the House; that’s confirmation of nominees. This is why many people contest for Senate from the House. I hope one day the deputy leader will contest for House and go back there,” he said.

Immediately after Akpabio’s submission, Senator Lawan raised a point of order and aligned himself with Senator Na’Allah’s position.

“I’m in support of the deputy leader’s position. I was at the House for eight years; I’m convinced that no chamber can make any legislation without the concurrence of the other.

“If you cannot send a bill to the executive for assent without the House, you will know that none of the chambers is superior to the other. The Senate only got an additional responsibility… I moved from the House to the Senate to participate in the additional responsibility of the Senate and not legislation,” he said.

At this point, the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, interjected saying, “The matter has become a controversial one; we should just leave it.”