Senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, has called on Senate President Godswill Akpabio to resign, intensifying the growing controversy surrounding recent amendments to the Senate Standing Orders.
Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Thursday, Oshiomhole criticised the changes to the rules guiding the election of principal officers in the Senate, describing them as morally questionable and unfair.
According to him, the new eligibility conditions contradict the circumstances under which Akpabio himself emerged as Senate President.
Oshiomhole argued that the revised rules, which require senators seeking top leadership positions to have served at least two consecutive terms, would technically disqualify Akpabio if applied strictly.
“This rule has serious moral implications,” Oshiomhole said. “The Senate President became Minority Leader during his first term, and now he is presiding over changes that prevent first-term senators from contesting for leadership positions.”
He added that Akpabio had not completed eight consecutive years in the Senate, insisting that if such a requirement becomes the standard, the Senate President should “lead by example” and vacate the office.
The former Edo State governor also referenced former Senate President David Mark, saying Mark served eight years by operating within existing rules rather than changing them for political advantage.
“Those same rules allowed David Mark to remain Senate President for eight years. Why change them now simply because more senators may become eligible to contest?” he asked.
The remarks came days after heated debates in the Senate over the controversial amendment of the Standing Orders.
Under the revised provisions passed earlier this week, only senators who have served two uninterrupted terms would qualify to contest for positions such as Senate President and other principal offices in the 11th National Assembly.
Critics within the chamber have argued that the amendments were hurriedly introduced to limit competition ahead of the 2027 political season.
Amid the backlash, the Senate later rescinded parts of the amendments, particularly sections relating to oath-taking procedures before the election of presiding officers.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Senator Adeniyi Adegbomire, explained that the reversal was necessary to avoid possible constitutional conflicts.
He clarified that while provisions concerning oath-taking were withdrawn, the eligibility requirements for leadership positions remained in place.
“One of the issues was whether senators must first take their oath before voting for Senate President and Deputy Senate President,” Adegbomire said. “To avoid constitutional controversy, we decided to revert to the old order.”
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, who moved the motion for rescission, said further legal review showed some parts of the amendment could conflict with Section 52 of the 1999 Constitution.
According to him, the Senate retains the authority to revisit and reverse its decisions whenever necessary to protect the integrity of its legislative process.
Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau, who presided over the session, supported the reversal, describing it as a move to ensure compliance with the Constitution.
Oshiomhole, however, faulted the manner in which the amendments were initially handled, accusing the Senate leadership of rushing the process to satisfy vested interests.
“The way we rushed the rules because certain people wanted certain things concluded is one flaw in this process,” he said, while calling for wider debate in future legislative decisions.
His comments triggered pushback from Bamidele, who insisted that any senator dissatisfied with previous decisions should formally present a motion for rescission rather than reopen debates informally on the Senate floor.
Bamidele also lamented that the controversy had distracted attention from other legislative activities in the chamber.
