Budget Defence: Senate Deputy Whips Fight Over Ebonyi Senator’s Patronising Comments For Umahi

A heated exchange erupted in the Senate on Wednesday as Deputy Majority Whip, Senator Peter Nwaebonyi (APC, Ebonyi North), and Deputy Minority Whip, Senator Rufai Hanga (NNPP, Kano Central), openly engaged in a war of words during a budget defence session involving the Minister of Works.

The joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Works was presided over by Senator Hanga in his capacity as Vice Chairman, standing in for the indisposed chairman, Senator Mpigi Barinada (Rivers South-East).

Proceedings had been smooth, with the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, presenting details of the ministry’s 2026 budget proposal and responding to questions from lawmakers.

However, tensions flared when Senator Nwaebonyi, while making his remarks, devoted much of his time to praising the minister, who is the immediate-past governor of Ebonyi State, and urging other lawmakers to do the same.

Senator Hanga interrupted him and asked him to round up his comments, a move that visibly angered Nwaebonyi.

“You cannot stop me from speaking after allowing Senator Adams Oshiomhole (Edo North) to talk for 15 solid minutes,” Nwaebonyi protested.

“Please don’t interrupt me because you allowed Senator Oshiomhole to spend not less than 15 minutes making his remarks, observations and asking questions without interruption. I’ve barely spent about five minutes and you are asking me to round up. I won’t. For your information, as a ranking presiding officer, I can take over proceedings of this session from you,” the Ebonyi Senator declared.

In response, Hanga firmly stated that Nwaebonyi could not take over the proceedings and struck the gavel, directing him to stop speaking.

The situation escalated further as Nwaebonyi accused Hanga of acting beyond his authority, describing himself as “a ranking Senator of the ruling party” who could not be overruled by a Senator of a minority party.

Hanga fired back, asserting that the votes that brought him to the Senate in 2023 elections were “ten times higher” than those secured by Nwaebonyi in Ebonyi North Senatorial District.

He also accused Nwaebonyi of bootlicking Umahi, saying that he cannot highjack the Joint Committee’s proceedings.

The tense atmosphere was eventually calmed following the intervention of senior lawmakers, including Senators Ali Ndume (Borno South) and Adamu Aliero (Kebbi Central), among others.

Earlier in the session, Minister of Works David Umahi had responded to allegations of substandard work on the Abuja–Kaduna–Zaria–Kano road project. He challenged members of the committee to conduct an on-the-spot inspection of the project, vowing to resign if found wanting.

“If the job is found to be below standard, I will resign,” Umahi declared.

The minister disclosed that out 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 explained that the new projects were separate from the four ongoing legacy projects, as well as the Akwanga–Jos–Bauchi–Gombe–Maiduguri road corridor.

Umahi further assured lawmakers that the N7 trillion required to complete road projects previously funded by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), but later withdrawn, would be sourced through domestic bond issuance.

The dramatic clash between the two deputy whips of the Senate, however, overshadowed the otherwise technical budget defence session.