A heated exchange between the Deputy Whip of the Senate, Senator Peter Nwaebonyi, and the Deputy Minority Whip, Senator Rufai Hanga, disrupted a joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Works on Wednesday.
The altercation occurred during the 2026 budget defence of the Minister of Works, Engr. Dave Umahi.
Tension flared shortly after Senator Adams Oshiomhole concluded his presentation and it was Senator Nwaebonyi’s turn to speak.
The Vice Chairman of the Committee, Senator Hanga, who presided in the absence of the substantive Chairman, Senator Mpigi Barinada, interrupted Nwaebonyi and urged him to be brief, noting that he appeared to be eulogising the minister rather than addressing the subject matter.
Umahi, the Minister of Works, is a former governor of Ebonyi — the same state represented by Nwaebonyi.
Visibly angered by the interruption, Nwaebonyi fired back, saying: “You cannot stop me from speaking after allowing Senator Adams Oshiomhole 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 a ranking presiding officer, I can take over proceedings of this session from you.”
Hanga, equally incensed, insisted that Nwaebonyi was not in a position to take over the proceedings and struck the gavel, ordering him to stop speaking.
The situation escalated further when Nwaebonyi described Hanga as a “minority senator,” adding, “I’m a ranking senator of the ruling party that cannot be ruled against by a minority senator.”
The shouting match drew the intervention of Senators Ali Ndume and Adamu Aliero, who eventually restored calm and allowed the session to continue.
Earlier in his presentation, the Minister of Works lamented funding constraints hampering the completion of ongoing federal road rehabilitation projects.
Umahi disclosed that only N210.318 billion — representing about 9.7 per cent of the expected capital releases for 2025 — had been paid so far.
He also revealed that the Federal Government owes contractors N2.2 trillion for certified works executed between 2024 and 2025.
According to the minister, the removal of fuel subsidy and the floating of the naira significantly increased project costs, forcing the government to re-scope and reprioritise several road projects nationwide.