The Deputy Whip of the Senate, Senator Peter Nwaebonyi (APC, Ebonyi North) and Deputy Minority Whip, Senator Rufai Hanga ( NNPP, Kano Central) traded words on Wednesday during budget defence session before Senate and House Committees on Works.
The budget defence session chaired by Senator Hanga in his capacity as Vice Chairman of the Committee who stood in for the indisposed chairman , Mpigi Barinada ( Rivers South East).
The drama happened during questions and observations sessions by Senators and members after the presentation of the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi.
Hanga had told Nwaebonyi who advised all lawmakers at the session to equally commend the minister to end his remarks.
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Apparently infuriated by Hanga's advice, Nwaebonyi said, "You cannot stop me from speaking after allowing Senator Adams Oshiomhole (APC, Edo North) to talk for 15 solid minutes.
"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. I won't and for your information, as ranking presiding officer, I can take over proceedings of this session from you."
Irked by Nwaebonyi's response, Senator Hanga told him that he could not take over proceedings of the committee. In anger, he hit the gavel, instructing Nwaebonyi to stop talking.
Thereafter, Nwaebonyi replied to Hanga by saying that "I'm a ranking Senator of the ruling party that cannot be ruled against by a minority senator."
In response, Hanga told Nwaebonyi that the votes that brought him to the Senate in June 2023 were 10 times higher than the one Nwaebonyi got from his Ebonyi North Senatorial District.
Normalcy was, however, restored to proceedings of the session through intervention of Senators Ali Ndume (Borno South ) and Adamu Aliero (Kebbi Central ) among others.
Before the exchange of verbal attacks between Nwaebonyi and Hanga, the Minister of Works had in his response to alleged poor job on Abuja - Kaduna-Zaria - Kano Road challenged the committee members for on the spot assessment of the project , saying he will resign if found not up to standard.
He said out of N3.245trillion capital vote earmarked for the ministry in 2026 budget, N760billion are for new projects spread across the six geo - political zones of the country.
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The new projects, according to him , are different from the four legacy projects, and the Akwanga - Jos - Bauchi - Gombe - Maiduguri road was added.
He assured the committee members that the N7trillion needed for completion of road projects withdrawn from by NNPCL would be sourced from domestic market bonds.
