What began as a routine budget defence session at the National Assembly on Wednesday quickly spiralled into a dramatic showdown, exposing simmering tensions within the Senate.
The joint sitting of the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Works — convened to examine the 2026 budget proposal of the Federal Ministry of Works — descended into chaos after a fiery confrontation between Senators Peter Nwaebonyi and Rufai Hanga.
A Smooth Start Turns Sour
The session, chaired by Hanga in his capacity as Vice Chairman while Committee Chairman Mpigi Barinada was absent, initially progressed without incident. Minister of Works, David Umahi, calmly laid out the ministry’s capital estimates and fielded questions from lawmakers.
But the atmosphere shifted abruptly when Nwaebonyi took the floor.
In a passionate intervention, the Ebonyi senator lavished praise on Umahi, urging colleagues to rally behind the minister. As his remarks stretched on, Hanga interjected, asking him to conclude.
That request lit the fuse.
“You Cannot Stop Me!”
Visibly angered, Nwaebonyi accused the chair of selective enforcement of time limits.
“You allowed Senator Adams Oshiomhole to speak for 15 solid minutes without interruption,” he protested. “I have barely spoken for five minutes and you are asking me to round up.”
The tension escalated further when Nwaebonyi asserted his seniority, declaring that as a “ranking presiding officer,” he could take over the session if he so wished.
Hanga was unmoved. Striking the gavel sharply, he ordered Nwaebonyi to stop speaking — a directive that only inflamed the situation.
Majority vs Minority Sparks Fire
The exchange soon veered into political territory.
“I’m a ranking Senator of the ruling party that cannot be ruled against by a minority senator,” Nwaebonyi fired.
That statement drew audible reactions in the chamber.
Hanga shot back immediately, dismissing any notion of superiority. He countered that the votes that secured his seat in June 2023 were “ten times higher” than those won by Nwaebonyi in Ebonyi North — turning the debate into a contest of political legitimacy.
For several tense moments, the session ground to a halt as voices rose and tempers flared.
Order was eventually restored only after senior lawmakers, including Ali Ndume and Adamu Aliero, stepped in to calm both men and steer proceedings back on track.
Umahi’s Bold Challenge
Ironically, the confrontation wasn’t the only dramatic moment of the day.
Earlier, Minister Umahi had stirred controversy of his own by challenging lawmakers to conduct an on-the-spot inspection of the Abuja–Kaduna–Zaria–Kano road project amid allegations of substandard work.
In a bold declaration, he pledged to resign if the project failed quality checks.
The minister also unveiled key details of the ministry’s 2026 spending plan:
₦3.245 trillion in total capital allocation
₦760 billion earmarked for new projects across the six geo-political zones
Separate funding for four ongoing “legacy projects”
Additional provision for the Akwanga–Jos–Bauchi–Gombe–Maiduguri highway
Umahi further revealed that the ₦7 trillion required to complete projects previously abandoned by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited would be raised through domestic market bonds.
A Session to Remember
What was meant to be a technical budget review ultimately exposed deeper political rivalries — majority versus minority, seniority versus procedure, and ego versus authority.
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By the time calm returned to the chamber, one thing was clear: Nigeria’s 2026 works budget debate has begun — and it is already anything but routine.