A Nigerian Senate hearing turned chaotic on Tuesday when Senator Onyekachi Nwaebonyi of Ebonyi North and former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, engaged in a heated exchange.
The confrontation occurred during a session of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions, which was reviewing a petition by Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Trouble started when the petitioner, Zubairu Yakubu, attempted to speak while Committee Chairman Neda Imaseun was addressing the room. He was asked to mute his microphone, and when Ezekwesili tried to intervene, Senator Nwaebonyi cut her off.
Ezekwesili told the senator to “compose himself and stop making noise,” which provoked an angry reaction.
“You’re a fool. What do you mean? Why are you talking to me like that? I will not take it. You’re an insult to womanhood. People like you cannot be here,” Nwaebonyi shouted.
Ezekwesili fired back, calling him a “hooligan,” escalating the altercation.
The verbal clash briefly disrupted the session before order was restored. Shortly after, Chairman Imaseun announced that the matter was already in court, bringing the hearing to an abrupt end.
