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By Lizzy Chirkpi
There was chaos in the Senate during on Wednesday as Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Adams Oshiomhole clashed over Tuesday’s amendment to the chamber’s standing rules.
Oshiomhole’s repeated attempts to raise a point of order during the adoption of votes and proceedings was resisted by Akpabio, who threatened to have him escorted out if he failed to comply with Senate procedures.
The confrontation began when Akpabio moved to adopt 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 a bid to block their adoption.
Anticipating the move, Akpabio reminded lawmakers of plenary procedures under Order 38, which outlines eight stages of proceedings and specifies when points of order can be raised. He subsequently ruled Oshiomhole out of order.
An attempt by Francis Ezenwa to reframe the intervention as a point of privilege was dismissed by Akpabio, who insisted it fell under step eight, not step two dealing with adoption of proceedings.
Undeterred, Oshiomhole raised another point of order, prompting Senate Chief Whip Tahir Monguno to caution him to be guided by the rules.
A visibly frustrated Akpabio then invoked Order 20 to assert his authority.
“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 against disregard for procedure, especially on sensitive matters.
“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 centre of the dispute is the amended Order 5, which 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 expected in June 2027.