The Senate has rescinded a controversial amendment that barred first-time senators from contesting presiding offices, reopening the 2027 race for Senate President and Deputy Senate President.
The reversal was adopted Thursday through a motion sponsored by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele and presided over by Deputy Senate President Jubril Barau.
The earlier amendment announced Wednesday required that any senator seeking to run for presiding or principal offices must have served in the Senate for two consecutive terms, totalling eight years.
That effectively disqualified all newly elected senators and those returning after a break, restricting eligibility to a small pool of ranking lawmakers.
The provision drew criticism as an attempt to shut out high-profile political figures expected to join the Senate in 2027, including outgoing governors and former ministers.
Opponents said it narrowed democratic choice and entrenched a closed caucus, while proponents argued it guaranteed experience at the helm.
With the rule gone, the leadership contest for the 11th National Assembly is now open to all elected senators regardless of tenure. The change is especially significant for figures like Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, who is expected to run for the Senate in 2027 even when he has yet to complete his second term as governor.
The backtrack also signals a shift within the ruling party towards a more competitive and inclusive process for selecting the next Senate leadership, rather than pre-determining it through tenure restrictions.
The Senate had on Wednesday amended its standing rules to restrict eligibility for presiding and principal offices to senators who had served at least two consecutive terms.
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The amendment was adopted on Wednesday following a voice vote presided over by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
The decision came amid speculation that former senators Hope Uzodimma, Ifeanyi Okowa and Ovie Omo-Agege were considering a return to the red chamber and a possible bid for the senate presidency in 2027.
The revised rules stipulated that only senators with at least eight years of continuous service in the chamber could 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.
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“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.
The Conclave
