IGNATIUS OKOROCHA, Abuja
The Senate at the commencement of its plenary on Wednesday experienced rowdy session arising from attempts by Senator Adams Oshiomhole to raise a point of order on the revised Orders 4 and 5 of Senate Rules even when he was ruled out of order by the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio.
Recall that the Red Chamber had on Tuesday, after a three‑hour closed‑door session, revised Orders 4 and 5 of its standing Rules which restricted Senators without prior experience in the 9th Senate from contesting elective positions in the 11th Senate.
The move is widely seen as a ploy against potential 11th Senate contenders such as Hope Uzodimma, Kabiru Marafa, and Adams Oshiomhole, who were not members of the two preceding assemblies.
Under the amended Order 4, nominations for Presiding Officers must now follow a defined ranking system and be strictly adhered to.
The order of ranking of its former President of the Senate, former Deputy President of the Senate, former Principal Officers of the Senate, senators who have served at least one four‑year term, former members of the House of Representatives, and first‑time senators, only if none of the above are available
The Senate went further in Order 5 by adding a new requirement: “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.”
That provision bars senators who were not in the 9th and 10th Senates from contesting for Presiding or Principal Offices in the 11th Senate.
Presiding Officers refer to the President and Deputy President of the Senate while the Principal Officers include the Senate Leader, Deputy Senate Leader, Chief Whip, Deputy Whip, Minority Leader, Deputy Minority Leader, Minority Whip, and Deputy Minority Whip.
However, the Senate President sensing the controversy that may arise from Senator Oshiomhole’s motion, ruled him out of order but the former NLC President refused to obey the Orders of the President of the President and insisted on driving home his point.
Meanwhile, attempts by the Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Monguno Mohammed Tahir (Borno North) to stop Oshiomhole from flouting the Senate Rules, fell on deaf ear until Akpabio threatened to invoke his powers as enshrined in the Senate Rules to direct the Sergent at Arm to order him out of the Senate Chamber if he continues to make the chamber unruly.
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