The Senate on Thursday rescinded controversial amendments to its Standing Orders 2026 following concerns that some provisions conflicted with the 1999 Constitution.
The reversal came days after the upper chamber approved changes to its rules, sparking controversy and heated exchanges among lawmakers.
The amendments had emerged amid growing interest by outgoing governors and political figures seeking Senate seats ahead of the 2027 elections, with some reportedly eyeing top leadership positions in the 11th National Assembly.
Among those speculated to be interested is Hope Uzodimma, whose second term as governor ends in 2028.
Presenting the motion during plenary, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele said further legislative and constitutional review showed that parts of the amended rules could conflict with Section 52 of the Constitution.
“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,” Bamidele said.
He added that the Senate retained the authority to revisit and reverse previous decisions to preserve the integrity of its legislative framework.
The motion was seconded by Enyinnaya Abaribe and adopted by the chamber.
Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau, who presided over the session, described the reversal as necessary to align Senate rules with constitutional provisions.
“This is a very straightforward motion — it’s just for us to go in conformity with the Constitution,” Barau said.
However, Senator Adams Oshiomhole criticised the process that led to the earlier amendments, accusing lawmakers of acting hastily to satisfy vested interests.
“The way we rushed the rules because certain people wanted certain things concluded is one flaw in this process,” Oshiomhole said.
His remarks triggered another round of exchanges on the Senate floor, prompting Bamidele to invoke Rule 52(6) of the Standing Orders against reopening issues already decided without a substantive motion.
Bamidele also lamented that the controversy surrounding the amendments had overshadowed the Senate’s legislative activities.
Speaking with journalists after plenary, Oshiomhole escalated his criticism by calling on Senate President Godswill Akpabio to resign.
Oshiomhole argued that the proposed rules created what he described as a “moral crisis,” insisting that Akpabio himself would not meet the eligibility threshold under the framework being debated.
“The Senate president became the minority leader in his first term. He is now the one presiding and asking us to change those rules,” Oshiomhole said.
He argued that if senators were required to serve two consecutive terms before contesting principal offices, Akpabio would also fail to meet the requirement.
Oshiomhole referenced former Senate President David Mark, saying leaders should not alter rules for political convenience after benefiting from them.
Meanwhile, the Senate denied reports that the Presidency pressured lawmakers into reversing the amendments.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Adeniyi Adegbomire, said the decision followed internal legislative review and concerns over constitutional implications.
According to Adegbomire, one of the contentious provisions required senators-elect to take the oath of office before participating in the election of Senate presiding officers.
“In the past, you didn’t have to be sworn in before you voted for the Senate President and Deputy Senate President, and now they said you must be sworn in first before the election,” he said.
He clarified that the issue of eligibility for contesting Senate leadership positions remained separate from the provisions rescinded.
Under the now-reversed amendments, senators seeking principal offices would have been required to serve at least two consecutive terms immediately before nomination.
The provision would have effectively barred first-time senators and non-consecutive lawmakers from contesting key leadership positions in the 11th National Assembly.
