Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, representing Bayelsa West, has accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of attempting to shut him down during plenary discussions focused on the country’s worsening security situation.
During the plenary session, Dickson reminded the Senate that he had previously raised concerns about the deteriorating security climate, emphasizing the severity of the issue.
“The Senate had an elaborate discussion on the security situation in the country, which has worsened in the last few weeks. When the Senate President recognised me to speak, I started by reminding him how I raised this issue with him a couple of days ago, and the need for us to work together.”
Tensions escalated when Akpabio reportedly tried to prevent Dickson from completing his remarks amid a debate on a motion commending President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s handling of national security, a motion Dickson firmly rejected.
“The entire nation is under attack, and we must all unite to address this challenge. I do not agree with the request in the motion, supported by the majority of speakers from the majority party, that the President and the government should be commended. I disagree with it.”
Dickson highlighted the severity of Nigeria’s security challenges, citing recent killings of soldiers, including a Brigadier General, and the mass abduction of students as evidence of a nation “under attack.”
He argued that commending the President under such circumstances is inappropriate and an affront to victims, frontline troops, and terrorized communities.
The confrontation underscores rising tensions within the Senate over the government’s handling of insecurity, reflecting broader public frustration with the worsening safety situation across the country.