Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
In the course of just 48 hours, the Nigerian Senate held two rules‑making sessions that first imposed and then promptly shelved a sweeping two‑term eligibility clause, culminating in a humiliating retreat that followed a searing confrontation between Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Senator Adams Oshiomhole. At the centre of the storm was a hasty amendment that would have barred any senator who had not served two full consecutive terms from contesting for any principal office, a provision that was quickly criticised as an incumbent‑protection racket being engineered by the current leadership. Under intense public scrutiny and internal pressure, the Senate was forced to admit that its own handiwork conflicted with the Nigerian Constitution.
The crisis erupted on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, when the Senate, meeting in a marathon closed‑door executive session, introduced a series of changes to its Standing Orders. The most radical clause, inserted into Order 5, stipulated that “any senator shall not be eligible to contest for any principal office of the Senate unless he has served two consecutive terms immediately preceding his nomination”. The amendment effectively locked out any lawmaker who would be elected to the Senate for the first time in 2027, as well as any senator whose service had been interrupted——a provision that was widely seen as aimed at narrowing the field for the 2027 leadership elections in the 11th National Assembly.
The Senate leadership had also amended Order 4 to require that nomination for presiding offices must follow a strict hierarchy of legislative ranking, beginning with former Senate Presidents and cascading down to second‑term senators. The cumulative effect was to freeze the existing leadership structure in place and to hand the current occupants of the principal offices a virtual monopoly on their positions after the 2027 general elections. The move drew immediate internal opposition, but it was the confrontation on the floor of the Senate the following day that turned a procedural dispute into a full‑blown parliamentary crisis.
On Wednesday, May 6, Senate President Akpabio began the day’s plenary with the routine reading of the “Votes and Proceedings” of the previous day. When he reached items 194, 195 and 196——precisely the sections that contained the newly amended rules——Senator Oshiomhole (Edo North/APC) rose repeatedly, seeking to raise a point of order. Akpabio, anticipating the challenge, pressed ahead, citing Order 38 of the Senate Standing Rules 2023 to argue that points of order were not admissible during that stage of proceedings. Oshiomhole was ruled out of order.
The Edo senator persisted, and the chamber quickly descended into chaos. Senator Francis Ezenwa attempted to reframe the objection as a “matter of privilege”, but Akpabio insisted that even a point of privilege could not be heard out of sequence. The situation was so tense that Chief Whip Tahir Monguno was compelled to warn Oshiomhole that further disruption could lead to his immediate expulsion from the chamber for the remainder of the sitting. A visibly angry Akpabio went further, invoking Order 20 and reading it aloud to underline his absolute authority to interpret the rules as the presiding officer. “Let me be clear to you, my colleagues, distinguished Senators. Many people may not have seen this order, which is why I am reading it out. The Senate President is tasked with maintaining order during debates and giving rulings on points of constitutional order when they are raised.
Therefore, Senator Oshiomhole, let me state it finally that I can use this rule to take you out of the chamber if you are not ready to comport yourself with the Senate rules and procedures,” Akpabio warned. The plenary was suspended for more than fifteen minutes before order was restored and the votes and proceedings were eventually adopted.
Oshiomhole refused to limit his fight to the floor of the Senate. After the plenary, he gave a series of interviews in which he escalated his criticism into a demand for Akpabio’s resignation. Speaking to reporters in Abuja, Oshiomhole declared that if the new rules were applied fairly, Akpabio himself would be disqualified from holding his own office. He pointed out that the Senate President had become a principal officer(Minority Leader of the 8th Senate) in his very first term. “This rule has a 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 for those who have done one term can’t even contest,” Oshiomhole said.
He calculated that even if one counted his previous tenure together with his current one, Akpabio had not yet completed the eight continuous years required under the new eligibility clause. “So, if we pass a rule requiring anyone to spend eight consecutive years before becoming Senate president, then he should lead by example by vacating the position, because he himself did not meet that qualification before presiding,” he insisted.
Oshiomhole also accused the Senate President of manipulating the rules to shut out competition. He recalled that former Senate President David Mark served for eight years without any such amendment, and argued that the existing rules were sufficient. “The same rules that enabled David Mark to preside over the Senate for eight years — what is wrong with them? The same rules that allowed the current Senate President to contest for the office — what is wrong with them? Why change them now?” he asked. “If others are afraid, I am not afraid. The only person I fear is my Creator.” His accusation that the rule was specifically designed to exclude anticipated aspirants, particularly his ally, Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma (who is widely rumoured to be eyeing the Senate presidency), only added fuel to the fire.
The backlash was immediate. The following day, Thursday, May 7, the Senate Leadership was forced into a retreat. Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele (Ekiti Central/APC) rose on a point of order and moved a motion that effectively rescinded the earlier amendments. Bamidele argued 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.” He noted that the Senate possessed “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 Thursday’s session, described the motion as straightforward and not requiring debate. “This is a very straightforward motion; it’s just for us to go in conformity with the constitution. I thank the leader for being observant and up to his game as the leader of the senate by making this observation,” Barau ruled. The chamber accordingly reversed its earlier decisions and reverted to the previous orders. The reversal effectively restored eligibility to all senators for leadership positions in the 11th National Assembly, regardless of seniority, and dismantled the two‑term barrier that Akpabio’s leadership had sought to erect.
Even as the reversal was being approved, Oshiomhole voiced criticism once more, but this time about the process that had led to the original amendment. “The way we rushed the rules because certain people wanted certain things concluded is one flaw in this process,” he said. “That is just the point I want to make — that next time we should allow debate.” Bamidele, however, quickly invoked Rule 52(6) to caution senators against reopening matters that had already been resolved without a proper rescission motion.
The 48‑hour saga left the Senate’s reputation for procedural integrity in tatters. What began as a calculated attempt to neutralise political rivals through a rule change ended as a public relations disaster, with the Senate President facing pointed questions about his own moral and legal standing to preside over the chamber. The incident has also revived the long‑standing debate over the use of standing orders to manipulate internal party contests, and it serves as a warning to the current leadership as it navigates the approach to the 2027 general elections. The principal offices are once again open to all comers.
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