A tense exchange between two senators briefly disrupted a joint budget defence session of the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Works on Wednesday, as lawmakers reviewed the 2026 proposals of the Ministry of Works by Minister David Umahi.
The disagreement involved Onyekachi Nwaebonyi, senator representing Ebonyi north, and Rufai Hanga, senator representing Kano central, who was presiding over the session as vice-chairman in the absence of the committee chairman, Mpigi Barinada.
Proceedings had initially progressed without incident, with the Minister of Works, David Umahi, presenting details of the ministry’s budget and fielding questions from lawmakers. Tension arose, however, when Nwaebonyi took the floor to make remarks that largely commended the minister and encouraged colleagues to acknowledge his efforts.
Midway into his comments, Hanga cautioned him to conclude, prompting an angry response from the Ebonyi lawmaker. Nwaebonyi protested the interruption, 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 and observations and ask questions without any interruption. I’ve barely spent about five minutes, and you are telling me to round up. I won’t, and for your information, as the ranking presiding officer, I can take over the proceedings of this session from you. That is the protocol.”
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Hanga rejected the claim, insisting that Nwaebonyi had no authority to assume control of the session. He struck the gavel and directed him to stop speaking.
The exchange escalated further when Nwaebonyi declared, “I’m a ranking senator of the ruling party that cannot be ruled against by a minority senator. You cannot tell me what to say.”
In response, Hanga countered that the votes that brought him to the Senate were “10 times higher” than those secured by Nwaebonyi in Ebonyi north. He also accused his colleague of “bootlicking his boss,” an apparent reference to Nwaebonyi’s support for Umahi, who is also from Ebonyi State.
Order was eventually restored following the intervention of Ali Ndume, senator representing Borno south, Adamu Aliero, senator representing Kebbi central, and Akin Alabi, chairman of the House Committee on Works, allowing the session to continue.
Earlier in his presentation, Umahi had urged lawmakers to conduct an on-the-spot inspection of the Abuja–Kaduna–Zaria–Kano road amid allegations of substandard work. “I will resign if it is found not up to standard,” he said.
The minister disclosed that of the N3.245 trillion capital allocation proposed for the ministry in the 2026 budget, N760 billion is earmarked for new projects across the six geopolitical zones. He noted that these projects are separate from the four legacy projects and the Akwanga–Jos–Bauchi–Gombe–Maiduguri road.
Umahi also assured lawmakers that the N7 trillion required to complete road projects earlier withdrawn by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) would be raised through the domestic bond market.
