A lighthearted but pointed exchange between two of Nigeria’s most prominent political figures has reignited public conversation about accountability, decorum and the boundaries of senatorial banter.
The Nigerian Senate became a stage for political theatre on Thursday, July 23, 2026, when Senator Adams Oshiomhole publicly called out Senate President Godswill Akpabio for violating what he described as a signed truce between the two men — an agreement to end their ongoing public hostilities once and for all.
The dramatic but largely good-natured confrontation unfolded during plenary session as senators debated a motion on the persistent non-compliance of Government-Owned Enterprises (GOEs), Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) with invitations issued by the Senate Committee on Finance. What began as a routine legislative discussion quickly turned into one of the most entertaining moments of the 10th Senate’s tenure.
Oshiomhole Rises on a Point of Order
When Akpabio made a remark that appeared to reference the months-old viral video controversy surrounding Oshiomhole, the Edo North senator was visibly displeased. He rose immediately on a point of order, insisting on being heard. When it became clear that Oshiomhole was not going to back down, Akpabio yielded the floor.
Standing before his colleagues, Oshiomhole made his position clear in characteristically bold fashion: “I want to report to this House that the Senate President and I signed a truce of no more hostilities, and the Senate President breached the truce by reverting to a previous matter with a view to behaving like…”
Amid laughter from lawmakers across the chamber, he added: “So I told Mr Senate President, the truce is signed. You should not violate it. I will not violate it.”
The chamber erupted. It was a quintessential Oshiomhole moment — pointed, theatrical, and delivered with the confidence of a man who spent years leading the Nigerian Labour Congress and governing Edo State.
Akpabio Smiles and Apologises
Senate President Akpabio, never one to be outdone in the theatre of Nigerian politics, responded with characteristic wit and warmth. Offering a smile to the chamber, he said: “Let me first of all apologize to Oshiomhole if whatever I said could in any way injure him or he felt offended… Sorry, we have a truce. Agreement is agreement. Oshiomhole is my brother, friend and colleague.”
The apology drew more laughter and applause from senators, and the session continued with the good-natured energy that the exchange had injected into what had been a routine legislative morning.
The Viral Video That Started It All
To understand Thursday’s exchange, one must go back to February 2026, when a video began circulating on Nigerian social media showing a man bearing a striking resemblance to Senator Oshiomhole seated aboard what appeared to be a private jet. In the footage, a woman’s legs were resting across his lap in what many interpreted as an intimate scene.
The clip triggered immediate and widespread backlash. Critics drew attention to the optics of the scene — a sitting Nigerian lawmaker appearing to enjoy luxury and leisure with a woman on a private jet at a time when millions of ordinary Nigerians were struggling with the effects of economic hardship, fuel subsidy removal, and rising food prices.
Oshiomhole’s team responded swiftly. His media aide, Oseni Momodu, denied the video’s authenticity in a statement, describing it as a “poorly made, artificially generated and fabricated clip” intended to blackmail and embarrass the senator. The denial was accepted by many, and the Senate itself — with Akpabio noting that Senator Simon Lalong had brought the matter to his attention — initially dismissed the footage as likely AI-generated content.
The woman in the video was later identified as Leshaan Dagama, a South African lifestyle influencer. When Nigerian social media users flooded her Instagram page with angry reactions, she notably did not deny appearing in the video, instead urging critics to direct their grievances at Oshiomhole himself. That response only added fuel to the fire and kept the controversy alive in public discourse.
Akpabio’s First Jab — July 16
The controversy had appeared to die down when Akpabio unexpectedly revived it during Senate proceedings on July 16, 2026 — a week before Thursday’s truce confrontation. During a debate in which Oshiomhole opposed the confirmation of a former Vice-Chancellor as a non-career ambassador on grounds of alleged sexual harassment, Akpabio seized the moment for a pointed jab.
Addressing the chamber, the Senate President said: “I would have asked a question when there was a picture showing one of our senators on a plane massaging the leg of a girl. Senator Oshiomhole, your very good friend Senator Lalong came to give me security information. He said that we just ignored the message because we thought it was AI. But if you have another evidence, we have a petition before us, we can look into it if it’s not AI.”
The implication was unmistakable — and it drew knowing laughter from lawmakers who understood exactly which senator and which video Akpabio was referencing. The jab was all the more pointed given that it came precisely as Oshiomhole was speaking on a matter involving allegations of inappropriate conduct by someone else.
It was that July 16 remark — and apparently another reference made in the days that followed — that prompted Oshiomhole to negotiate the informal truce with Akpabio. And it was Akpabio’s apparent violation of that truce on Thursday that brought the matter back to the Senate floor.
What This Says About Nigeria’s Senate
Beyond the humour and banter, Thursday’s exchange raises important questions about the culture and conduct of Nigeria’s upper legislative chamber.
On one hand, the ability of Oshiomhole and Akpabio to trade jabs, reach informal agreements, and resolve tensions with laughter and apology speaks to a certain collegiality — a reminder that beneath the political rivalries and public posturing, Nigerian senators are human beings capable of friendship, reconciliation, and self-awareness.
On the other hand, the episode highlights a recurring challenge in Nigeria’s political environment: the fine line between personal conduct and public accountability. Oshiomhole’s team denied the video was authentic. But the woman in the video did not deny her presence in it. The Senate dismissed it as likely AI-generated — but no formal investigation was conducted. The matter remains, as one outlet noted, “unresolved.”
In a legislature that prides itself on oversight, accountability, and the enforcement of transparency from government agencies, the question of how senators hold themselves to the same standards they demand of others is one that Nigerian citizens are increasingly asking.
The Truce and What Comes Next
For now, the truce appears to be back in force — at least publicly. Akpabio apologised. Oshiomhole accepted. Senators laughed. And the business of the Red Chamber moved on.
Whether the truce will survive the next provocative motion, the next pointed reference, or the next politically charged Senate debate is another matter entirely. Nigerian politics has a way of ensuring that no truce lasts forever.
What is certain is that the Akpabio-Oshiomhole dynamic — two powerful, experienced, and verbally gifted politicians who have known each other for decades — will continue to produce moments that remind Nigerians that their Senate is never short of drama.
And for a nation that sometimes despairs of its political class, a moment of genuine laughter on the Senate floor — even if born of controversy — is not the worst thing in the world.
Image credit: GlimpseTV
Video credit: GlimpseTV
