Former Kogi West senator and a leading figure in the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dino Melaye, has reacted to a viral video capturing a heated exchange between Senator Ali Ndume of Borno State and Senate President Godswill Akpabio over changes made to the leadership of a key Senate committee.
Melaye’s reaction came shortly after the video began circulating widely on social media, sparking debate about internal disagreements within the upper legislative chamber.
He shared his response via his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Friday, February 6, 2026, offering a brief but pointed comment on the unfolding drama.
The viral clip shows Senator Ali Ndume openly questioning the Senate President during plenary over the decision to replace the chairman of the Harmonization Committee with Senator Simon Lalong.
Ndume appeared visibly dissatisfied, arguing that the move violated established legislative procedures and disregarded the contributions of the original committee leadership.
Addressing the Senate President in the video, Ndume said, “Mr President, the chairman of the committee is here. You have to put the Chairman of the Harmonization Committee. We have a chairman who represented us in doing this thing and then you just excluded him from the harmonization.” He went on to challenge the logic behind the decision, adding, “What kind of harmonization are you going to do? We are telling you about experience. There is a legislative procedure. The person who did this work is here so how can you go and harmonize without the person who did the work?”
The remarks, delivered on the Senate floor, drew attention online as many viewers interpreted them as a rare public confrontation between a ranking senator and the Senate leadership.
The exchange has since fueled discussions about transparency, adherence to legislative norms, and the management of committee affairs within the Senate.
Reacting to the video, Dino Melaye offered a terse but symbolic response.
In a post on his official X handle, he wrote simply, “There was a Senate.” Although brief, the statement was widely interpreted by political observers and social media users as a commentary on the intensity of the exchange and the assertion of legislative independence displayed in the clip.
Watch video here from 0:1 to 0:40
Leave a Reply