The Senate on Thursday rescinded the earlier amendments to Orders 2(2) and 3(1) of the Senate Standing Orders 2023 (as amended), retaining previous rules.
The development occurred after lawmakers raised concerns that key provisions conflicted with the 1999 Constitution as amended.
The senate had recently amended the standing rules, restricting principal leadership positions exclusively to lawmakers serving, at least, second terms.
This had shut the door of eligibility against would-be senators in the 11th National Assembly, which will kck off in June 2027.
The likes of Senators Hope Uzodimma, Imo; Kabiru Marafa, Zamfara Central; Adams Oshiomhole, Edo North; among others, who are said to be positioning themselves for the principal officers’ positions would have been affected.
Our correspondent further reports that the amendment process sparked controversy between Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Senator Adams Oshiomhole, on Wednesday, when the Senate President began the reading of the Votes and Proceedings.
Oshiomhole, who is believed not to be satisfied with the amendment, which according to sources close to him, is targeted at him and his friend, Uzodimma, who is being rumoured of being anointed as the next Senate President, spoke up.
Oshiomhole’s persistent attempts to raise point of Order over the issue during adoption of votes and proceedings made him incur the wrath of Senate President Godswill Akpabio who threatened to walk him out of the chamber.
Despite the rowdy session, the Senate went ahead to amend the rules.
But during the plenary on Thursday, the Senate Leader, Senator Bamidele Opeyemi, raised a motion, arguing that certain clauses introduced under Order 2 Subsection 2 and Order 3 Subsection 1 could create “constitutional inconsistencies and unintended tensions”.
“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 and unintended tensions with the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended, particularly Section 52 thereof,” the Senate Leader said while moving the motion.
Bamidele said further legislative and constitutional reviews revealed possible conflicts with provisions of Nigeria’s Constitution, particularly Section 52, necessitating immediate parliamentary corrections.
He said that the senate retained authority to revisit, rescind and recommit previously-concluded matters to protect legislative integrity, parliamentary convention and legislative practice.
The senate subsequently rescinded its earlier decision regarding amendments to Orders 2(2) and 3(1) of the senate standing orders and retained previous provisions.
Deputy Senate President, Jibrin Barau, who presided over the plenary, described the motion as straightforward and necessary for ensuring compliance with constitutional provisions.
“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.
“It is something that is very clear and we don’t need any debate in respect of this,” Barau said.
In a swift reaction, Oshiomhole criticised the manner through which the initial amendments were passed, insisting that the lawmakers rushed the process without allowing extensive debates.
“The way we rushed the rules, because certain people wanted certain things concluded, is one flaw to this process.
“That is just the point I want to mak. Next time, we should allow for robust debates,” Oshiomhole said.
Bamidele raised a point of order under Rule 52(6), cautioning senators against revisiting concluded matters without presenting substantive rescission motions before the senate.
“If His Excellency, Distinguished Sen. Adams Oshiomhole had any problem with the decisions that were taken with respect to the amendment two days ago, what he was expected to do was to bring a substantive motion for rescission to be debated on the floor of this parliament.
“The drama witnessed in the chamber the previous day had overshadowed substantive legislative business,” he said.
Bamidele stated that the disruptions witnessed during previous proceedings overshadowed substantive legislative business, insisting that the senate would not permit unnecessary drama during future deliberations in the chamber.
“Regardless of what was done in this hallowed chamber yesterday, what became the news out of this hallowed chamber was that unnecessary drama, and we are not going to allow this to continue,” he said.