By Olugbenga Salami
The Senate was thrown into tension on Wednesday following a heated clash between Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Senator Adams Oshiomhole (Edo North) over Tuesday’s amendment to the chamber’s standing rules.
Oshiomhole’s repeated attempts to raise a point of order during the adoption of Tuesday’s votes and proceedings drew a sharp rebuke from Akpabio, who threatened to have him escorted out if he failed to adhere to Senate procedures.
The confrontation began when Akpabio reached items 194, 195 and 196 of the proceedings, which contained the amended rules on eligibility for the positions of Senate President and Deputy Senate President.
Oshiomhole immediately shouted “point of order” in an effort to block their adoption.
Anticipating the move, Akpabio reminded senators of the plenary procedure under Order 38, which outlines eight steps from opening prayers to matters of urgent public importance, the stage at which a point of order is permitted. He subsequently ruled Oshiomhole out of order.
Senator Francis Ezenwa, (Imo East), tried to reframe Oshiomhole’s intervention as a point of privilege rather than a point of order, but Akpabio countered that it belonged to step eight of the proceedings, not step two, which deals with the adoption of votes and proceedings.
Undeterred, Oshiomhole raised another point of order, prompting Senate Whip Tahir Monguno (Borno North), to caution him to be guided by Senate rules.
Growing frustrated, Akpabio read out Order 20 of the Senate rules to underscore his authority.
He said: “Let me be clear to you, 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.
He also has a casting vote in the event of a tie, but does not vote in any other circumstance. Most importantly, he has the authority to interpret the rules, this is clearly stated.”
Akpabio warned that senators must not come into the chamber without a proper grasp of the rules, especially on matters involving contested elections.
“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 Senate rules and procedures,” he said.
At the heart of the dispute is the amended Order 5, which now states that “Any Senator shall not be eligible to contest for any Principal Office of the Senate unless he has served as a Senator for at least two consecutive terms immediately preceding nomination.”
The provision effectively bars senators who were not members of the 9th or current 10th Senate from contesting Presiding Officer positions in the 11th Senate in June 2027.
