Former Edo State Governor and senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, has criticised moves to alter the Senate leadership qualification rules, warning that any attempt to impose an eight-year requirement for aspiring Senate Presidents would directly undermine the legitimacy of the current Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.
Speaking to journalists on the controversy surrounding proposed changes to Senate leadership rules, Oshiomhole argued that Akpabio himself did not meet such a requirement before emerging as Senate President and therefore could not support a rule that would invalidate the process through which he assumed office.
“The senate president became a minority leader, a principal officer during his first term as a senator during the 8th senate,” Oshiomhole said. “Now he’s the one presiding and asking us to change those rules. As we speak today, the senate president has not spent up to eight years in office, even if you count his previous years and his current one.”
The former Nigeria Labour Congress president further stated that introducing a rule requiring senators to complete eight consecutive years before contesting for Senate President would create a contradiction for the current leadership of the upper legislative chamber.
“So if we pass the rule that you must do eight consecutive years before you can become a senate president, it means he has to lead by example by vacating because he’s presiding without acquiring the appropriate qualifications,” he declared.
Oshiomhole warned against tailoring parliamentary rules to favour individuals or political interests, insisting that legislative regulations should remain stable and democratic rather than being altered for immediate political calculations.
“But as leaders, who are products of by-laws, we mustn’t make laws to perpetuate anyone,” he said. He referenced former Senate President David Mark, who served for eight years, arguing that Mark achieved the feat under existing rules without any manipulation of the system.
“Senator David Mark had the honour and privilege of serving as Senate President for eight years not by playing with the rules. Those rules that enabled David Mark to preside for eight years, what is wrong with them?” Oshiomhole queried.
The senator also suggested that the proposed amendments may be politically motivated, claiming the current rules had previously worked in favour of Akpabio when the Senate presidency was zoned to the South-South region. According to him, the move to tighten eligibility criteria now appears aimed at reducing future competition for the position.
“Those rules that enabled this Senate President to contest, what is wrong with them? Why changing it now?” he asked. “Because the last time, he turned out to be the only one eligible from the South-South, where it was zoned to. Now he sees more senators will be eligible, which will broadly be competitive based.”
