“You Cannot Stop Me from Speaking”: Kano, Ebonyi Senators Clash During Umahi’s Budget Defence at National Assembly

A budget defence session for the Ministry of Works turned tense on Wednesday as two senators — Peter Nwaebonyi (APC, Ebonyi North) and Rufai Hanga (NNPP, Kano Central) — openly disagreed during proceedings before the joint Senate and House Committees on Works.

The session was presided over by Senator Hanga in his role as Vice Chairman of the committee, standing in for the chairman, Senator Mpigi Barinada (Rivers South East), who was absent.

The exchange began after Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, concluded his presentation on the ministry’s 2026 budget. During the question-and-observation segment, Senator Nwaebonyi urged colleagues to commend the minister before ending his remarks. Senator Hanga asked him to round up.

Nwaebonyi objected, noting that Senator Adams Oshiomhole had earlier spoken for about 15 minutes without interruption.

“You cannot stop me from speaking after allowing Senator Oshiomhole to talk for 15 solid minutes,” Nwaebonyi said. “I’ve barely spent about five minutes and you are asking me to round up.”

He added that, as a ranking presiding officer, he could assume control of the session.

Hanga rejected this claim and struck the gavel, directing Nwaebonyi to stop speaking. The disagreement escalated when Nwaebonyi said he could not be “ruled against by a minority senator,” prompting Hanga to respond that the votes that brought him to the Senate were “ten times higher” than those of his colleague.

Other lawmakers, including Senators Ali Ndume (Borno South) and Adamu Aliero (Kebbi Central), intervened to calm the situation and restore order.

Earlier in the session, Umahi addressed concerns raised about the condition of the Abuja–Kaduna–Zaria–Kano road. He challenged committee members to conduct an on-the-spot inspection of the project and said he would resign if the work was found to be substandard.

Umahi told the lawmakers that ₦760 billion of the ministry’s ₦3.245 trillion capital allocation in the 2026 budget is set aside for new projects across the six geopolitical zones. These projects, he said, are separate from four existing legacy road projects. He also noted that the Akwanga–Jos–Bauchi–Gombe–Maiduguri road has been added to the list.

On funding, the minister said the ₦7 trillion required to complete road projects previously financed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) would now be sourced through domestic market bonds.