Drama as Senate Changes Rules to Become Senate President
- The Senate has amended its internal rules that restricted the eligibility of those interested in the Senate presidency to a few
- The new rules indicated that only members of the 10th National Assembly, who returned to the Chamber, can become principal officers in the 11th assembly
- The decision was reached after a marathon closed-door session that was publicly criticised by Senator Adams Oshiomhole from Edo state
The Senate has made a major shift to its internal rules as it amended its standing orders to restrict the eligibility of candidates for the office of the Senate President to only members of the 10th National Assembly.
The move came after a marathon closed-door session where the lawmakers agreed on new criteria that prioritise parliamentary hierarchy and experience. Under the revised rules, only senators who have been in the national assembly would be able to contest for principal offices.
Source: Facebook
According to Channels TV, the new law stated that at least one of the two terms must be the immediate term before the nomination, a move that effectively narrowed the field of contenders.
The amended Order 4 of the Senate reads:
“Nomination of Senators to serve as Presiding Officers shall be in accordance with the ranking of Senators and shall be strictly adhered to."
This means that only senators currently serving under the Senate President Godswill Akpabio's leadership of the 10th Assembly who secured their re-election in the 2027 general elections would be able to contest for the Senate presidency and other principal offices.
According to the Senate, the development was intended to strengthen adherence to the tradition of ranking within the Upper legislative chamber.
Nigerians react as Oshiomhole criticises Senate rules
However, the video of the announcement in the Senate, where Senator Adams Oshiomhole rejected the move, has started generating reactions from Nigerians. Below are some of their comments:
Uncle Bayo said the ruling party was obviously not in support of the move:
"Oshiomhole rejecting it publicly means the APC itself is not unified on this. When a party chieftain of his weight pushes back openly, it means the decision was not a consensus; it was a power move that some people in the room did not sanction."
Source: Twitter
Adésọjí criticised the Senate:
"While debates on party rules are healthy, the focus should remain on institutional stability and delivering governance dividends to Nigerians rather than individual 2027 ambitions."
Anthony alleged that Oshiomhole has an interest in becoming the Senate president:
"Adams Oshiomhole also has an interest in becoming the president of the Senate in 2027, so if the rules stand, it's an automatic disqualification for him. It should be reversed to its status quo."
Tifẹ́ said that the rules can be suspended on inauguration day:
"That can be suspended by just a motion on the day of inauguration of the senate if it's seconded and carried by the majority. It's that simple."
See the video of Oshiomhole's rejection on X here:
Senate president speaks on insecurity
Legit.ng earlier reported that Senate President Godswil Akpabio has blamed the insecurity in the country on the upcoming elections, and predicted improvement after the polls.
However, some critics of the claim have challenged Akpabio's views and highlighted the need for peace ahead of elections.
At the same time, public reactions have revealed mixed feelings on security and Akpabio's optimistic outlook ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
