The Senator representing Edo North, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, on Thursday called on Senate President Godswill Akpabio to resign from office, escalating tensions over the recent amendment of the Senate Standing Orders governing the election of presiding and principal officers in the upper chamber.
Oshiomhole, who spoke to journalists in Abuja, described the amended rules as being rooted in what he called a “moral crisis,” insisting that the process and content of the changes raised fundamental questions about fairness, eligibility, and leadership ethics in the Senate.
He argued that Akpabio, under the new framework being debated, no longer meets the moral and procedural threshold to continue presiding over the chamber.
He stated, “This rule has serious moral crisis. The senate president became minority leader on his first term. He is now the one presiding and asking us to change those rules even those who have done one term can’t even contest.
“As we speak today, the senate president has not done eight years in office even if you count the previous one plus the current one.
“So if we pass the rule that we must do eight consecutive years before you can become senate president, it means he has to leave by example by vacating because he is presiding without acquiring necessary qualification.”
Drawing parallels with past leadership arrangements, Oshiomhole referenced former Senate President David Mark, warning against changing rules for political convenience after benefiting from them.
“More offensive to me is that as leaders who are products of by-laws, we must not make laws to perpetrate anyone. David Mark had the honour and privilege of serving as senate president for eight years, not by playing by the rules.
“Those rules that enabled David Mark to preside for eight years, what happened to them? Why changing them now because he fears that more senators will be eligible which will broaden the competitive base. So he wants to soak it. If other people are afraid, I am not,” he added.
The Edo senator’s call for resignation comes just days after heated exchanges on the floor of the Senate over the controversial amendment to the Standing Orders, which introduced stricter eligibility requirements for those seeking principal offices in the 11th National Assembly.
Under the new rules passed on Tuesday, only senators with at least two consecutive and uninterrupted terms would qualify to contest for top leadership positions, including Senate President and other principal offices.
The amendments have since triggered deep divisions within the chamber, with critics arguing that the changes were rushed and designed to narrow the field ahead of the 2027 political cycle.
The controversy also comes against the backdrop of fresh clarification from the Senate leadership, which dismissed reports linking the Presidency to the reversal of parts of the amended rules.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Senator Adeniyi Adegbomire, said the adjustments were purely internal and aimed at resolving constitutional concerns.
According to him, “One of the Orders that was considered was about whether you should take your oath of alliance and membership before elections.
“The proposal that was passed among others on Tuesday was that you be sworn in before you can vote. It was just procedural change.
“In the past, you don’t have to be sworn in before you vote for the Senate President and Deputy Senate President and now they said be sworn in first before election. Members were of the opinion that the constitution says you may so that there won’t be any controversy. Thereafter, we decided to revert to the old Order.
“The issue of eligibility stays and it is different from what we rescinded. We rescinded the order of oath taking and eligibility to contest election. This is for clarity.”
Earlier on Thursday, the Senate had formally rescinded portions of its amendments to Orders 2(2) and 3(1), citing possible constitutional inconsistencies with Section 52 of the 1999 Constitution.
The decision followed a motion led by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, who explained that further review showed the need for caution in implementing the changes.
He said, “The Senate observes that upon further legislative and constitutional review, certain provisions introduced under Order 2 Subsection 2 and Order 3 Subsection 1 may give rise to constitutional inconsistencies and unintended tensions with the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended, particularly Section 52 thereof.”
Bamidele also stressed that the chamber retained the authority to reverse itself where necessary.
He said the Senate “possesses the inherent parliamentary authority to revisit, rescind and recommit any matter previously decided upon in order to preserve the integrity of its proceedings and legislative framework.”
Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau, who presided over the session, backed the reversal, describing it as a constitutional correction.
“This is a very straightforward motion — it’s just for us to go in conformity with the Constitution,” Barau said.
“I thank the Leader for being observant and up to his game as the Leader of the Senate by making this observation. It is something that is very clear and we don’t need any debate in respect of this.”
However, Oshiomhole had earlier faulted the manner in which the rules were initially amended, alleging haste and influence from vested interests.
“The way we rushed the rules because certain people wanted certain things concluded is one flaw to this process.
“That is just the point I want to make — that next time we should allow debate,” Oshiomhole said during deliberations.
His intervention triggered procedural pushback in the chamber, with Bamidele warning against reopening concluded matters without proper motions, citing Senate rules.
“If His Excellency, Distinguished Senator Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole, had any problem with the decisions that were taken with respect to the amendment two days ago, what he was expected to do was to bring a substantive motion for rescission to be debated on the floor of this parliament,” the Senate Leader said.
He further lamented that the controversy had overshadowed legislative work in the chamber.
“Regardless of what was done in this hallowed chamber yesterday, what became the news out of this hallowed chamber was that unnecessary drama, and we are not going to allow this to continue,” he added.
The Senate Standing Orders govern legislative procedures, voting, debates, and the conduct of proceedings in the upper chamber.
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