Senate President, Godswill Akpabio took a swipe at Senator Adams Oshiomhole on the floor of the chamber on Thursday, referencing the viral video that showed the Edo North lawmaker appearing to massage a woman’s feet aboard a private jet.

The remark, captured on video and widely shared online, added a fresh layer of tension to an already strained relationship between the two APC chieftains, who have repeatedly clashed on the Senate floor in recent months.

The video at the centre of Akpabio’s jibe first surfaced in February, showing a man resembling Oshiomhole in a light-hearted exchange with a woman whose feet rested on his lap during a flight.

The footage quickly went viral across social media platforms, with users initially speculating that the woman was Oshiomhole’s wife, Lara Fortes, before she was later identified as Leshaan Dagama, a South African lifestyle influencer.

Oshiomhole’s media office swiftly dismissed the clip as a poorly edited, AI-generated fabrication designed to blackmail and embarrass the senator, though independent fact-checks that examined the footage concluded the claim of AI manipulation was misleading.

Thursday’s exchange is the latest flashpoint in a running feud between Akpabio and Oshiomhole that has repeatedly disrupted Senate proceedings this year, including a heated clash in May over newly amended Senate standing rules and another confrontation earlier this month that forced the Senate President to warn Oshiomhole against unruly conduct in the chamber.

The rivalry has been widely linked to manoeuvring ahead of the 2027 Senate presidency race, with both men seen as key players in the contest for legislative leadership.

Reactions to the latest taunt have been mixed, with some Nigerians online describing it as fair game between two political heavyweights known for trading blows, while others criticised both men for allowing personal jabs to overshadow legislative business.

The Senate has not issued an official statement on the exchange, and it remains unclear whether the running tension between the two leaders will affect the chamber’s business in the days ahead.