The senate has amended its standing rules to restrict eligibility for presiding and principal offices to senators who have served at least two consecutive terms.
The amendment was adopted on Tuesday following a voice vote
presided over by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
The decision comes amid speculation that former senators
Hope Uzodimma, Ifeanyi Okowa and Ovie Omo-Agege are considering a return to the
red chamber and a possible bid for the senate presidency in 2027.
The revised rules stipulate that only senators with at least
eight years of continuous service in the chamber can contest for the positions
of senate president and deputy senate president.
The amendment followed a closed-door session that lasted
about three hours.
The senate also amended orders 4 and 5 to narrow the scope
of eligibility for leadership positions in the 11th national assembly.
Order 4 provides that nomination of senators for presiding
offices must strictly follow ranking.
The ranking includes the former senate president, former
deputy senate president, former principal officers, senators who have served at
least one term, former members of the house of representatives, and first-time
senators where others are unavailable.
Order 5 introduces an additional requirement for principal
offices.
It states that no senator shall be eligible to contest for
any principal office unless he has served at least two consecutive terms
immediately preceding nomination.
The amendment effectively excludes incoming senators in the
11th national assembly who were not part of the 9th and 10th senates.
Presiding offices in the senate include senate president and
deputy senate president.
Principal offices include senate leader, deputy senate
leader, chief whip, deputy chief whip, minority leader, deputy minority leader,
minority whip and deputy minority whip.
The amendment also affects potential aspirants for the 2027
leadership of the senate.
Adams Oshiomhole, the senator representing Edo north, was
the lone dissenting voice as the senate adopted the resolutions by voice vote.
Attempts by the former Edo state governor to raise a point
of order were repeatedly rebuffed by the senate president.
“This was not what we agreed at the closed-door session,”
Oshiomhole said as Akpabio read the resolutions.
Before the amendment, any ranking senator — defined as one
who had served at least four years — could contest for the presiding offices.
The senate also introduced additional changes to its rules.
Order 8 (1) was amended to fix committee meetings between 3
pm and 6 pm from Monday to Friday, except on the second and fourth Fridays of
each month.
Order 8 (2) now provides that plenary sessions shall be held
on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11 am to 3 pm unless extended by the
senate leader.
Section 55 (11) was amended to allow presiding officers and
nominees undergoing screening to drink water during the plenary.
Section 66 (8) was revised to require suspended senators to
withdraw from the plenary as directed by the senate president, with the
duration of suspension to be determined by resolution.
Section 94 (1) stipulates that committees shall have between
seven and 25 members.
It also provides that no senator shall serve on more than
seven committees, with appointments reflecting the six geopolitical zones.
Section 96 was amended to include oversight of regional
development commissions across the six geopolitical zones.
The senate also created a new committee on reparation and
repatriation.
Akpabio subsequently directed Emmanuel Odo, clerk of the
senate, to update the standing rules accordingly.
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