POWER TUSSLE IN NASS: Akpabio’s Chief of Staff, Clerk Clash Over Resumption Notice

ABUJA — Confusion engulfed the National Assembly on Monday following a dramatic clash between the Chief of Staff to the Senate President, Chinedu Akubueze, and the Clerk of the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, over who has the constitutional mandate to issue an official notice of resumption of plenary.

The drama unfolded after Mr. Akubueze, a former Clerk of the Senate and now Chief of Staff to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, issued a two-paragraph statement announcing the postponement of plenary from September 23 to October 7, 2025.

In his statement, Akubueze expressed regrets over the late notice but urged lawmakers to “take note of the new date and adjust their schedules accordingly.”

However, barely minutes later, the Clerk of the National Assembly, Mr. Ogunlana, released a counter-statement, also announcing the same postponement but stressing that he was “directed by the presiding officers of both Chambers” to issue the notice on behalf of the institution. His version appeared more official, covering both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

This rare duplication of duty, observers say, has exposed a widening rift between the offices of the Clerk and the Senate President’s Chief of Staff. Critics argue that Akubueze’s action “overreached his functions” and intruded into the statutory duties of the Clerk, raising questions about power play and protocol breach within the top echelons of the legislature.

The tension, insiders suggest, may not be unconnected with the lingering controversy over the suspension and planned resumption of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central. The Clerk’s office has faced accusations of complicity in attempts to frustrate her return, a matter the Senator has vowed to challenge in court.

Mr. Ogunlana, however, has publicly distanced himself from the controversy, insisting in a formal response that he was never part of any plot to bar Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan after her six-month suspension elapsed.

With both notices now in circulation, analysts fear the unfolding turf war could dent the institutional integrity of the National Assembly, portraying it as divided and disorganized at a time Nigerians expect a united legislature to tackle mounting national challenges.