It was a dramatic and rowdy session in the Senate on Thursday following Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe’s description of President Muhammadu Buhari as being ‘incompetent’ in his handling of the deadly clashes between herdsmen and farmers across the country.

Senator Abaribe, who represents Abia South Senatorial District under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had used the word while reacting to comments made by the President in London on Wednesday that the killer herdsmen were not Nigerians but militias trained by the late Libyan leader, Muammar Gadaffi.

Abaribe, in a motion raised at plenary queried why Buhari as Commander-in-Chief of the nation’s Armed Forces was incapable and incompetent in protecting the nation from foreign invasion.

He also wondered why the President, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris and the Minister of Defence, Brigadier-General Mansur Dan Ali (rtd) have propounded different theories for the recurring clashes.

Abaribe recalled that Idris had blamed the clashes on the anti-open grazing laws passed by some of the affected states while the minister said they were caused by the blocking of grazing routes.

Abaribe said: “Yesterday (Wednesday) in London, the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria said the killings are as a result of the people who were trained by the late Gadaffi, and so implying that these people doing these killings came from outside the country.

“When a Commander-in-Chief cannot take care of invaders invading Nigeria, why is he still a Commander-in-Chief? Why do we continue to indulge this president such that everywhere he goes, he tells everyone outside this country that he is totally incompetent? Because it is obvious….”

At this point, his presentation was interrupted by an uproar and shouts of ‘point of order’ by several senators who raised their hands, requesting permission from the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki to register their protest.

Few minutes after calm was restored to the Chamber, the Majority Leader, Senator Ahmed Lawan who first took the floor expressed displeasure at Abaribe’s choice of words, which he said disrespected the President.

Senator Lawan said: “The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is the leader of this country, and he deserves the respect and courtesy of this chamber and those of us in it.

“I was once a member of the opposition and I do not recall ever calling the then president names, or insulting him. This is our institution. If we do not conduct ourselves with respect, nobody will,” Lawan added.

Lawan thereafter demanded that Abaribe  withdrew the statement and apologized to the Chamber. Backing Lawan’s position, the Senate President said offensive and disrespectful words must not be used by Senators, whom he said should always be guided by the Senate rules.

Abaribe eventually apologized to his colleagues but stressed that he simply interpreted the words used by the President himself.

“I am very well guided by you, but there are words that have no alternatives. What I did was interpret the words by the President in London. If any word I used is misunderstood by anyone, I apologize.\

“What I am saying is simple. The heads of security in Nigeria made several explanations for the killings of our people. It shows that there is a disconnection,” Abaribe maintained.