Melaye, Bamidele hold Senate to ransom as sitting begins

Senators Dino Melaye and Opeyemi Bamidele held up proceedings at the Senate on Tuesday for over 10 minutes.

This followed the directive of the Clerk of the National Assembly, Mohammed Sani-Olori, that the Clerk of the Senate, Nelson Ayewo, should take the roll call of the senators-elect present before the election of Principal Officers.
Sani-Olori had before then read the letter of proclamation of President Muhammadu Buhari.
However, as Ayewo made to take the roll call, Bamidele (APC-Ekiti) and Melaye (PDP-Kogi) engaged in a rowdy shouting match.
Sani-Olori, however, insisted that he would not take any motion as the only duty for the day was the election of Principal Officers.
It took over 10 minutes before order could be restored.
The roll call was still being taken as at press time, beginning with Abia State.