Edo North Senator Adams Oshiomhole has called on Senate President Godswill Akpabio to vacate the top seat of the National Assembly, arguing that the leader has not met the eight‑year service requirement he himself is proposing for the position.
Oshiomhole, a former governor of Edo State, made the remarks following a Senate amendment to the Standing Rules that would bar first‑time senators from holding principal officer posts. He told journalists that the change amounts to “a moral crisis” and undermines democratic principles enshrined in Section 70 of the constitution.
“The beauty of democracy is that when members cast their votes, they cannot later hide behind signatures and claim they were not responsible,” Oshiomhole said. “I want Nigerians to ask which senators are trying to restrict future leadership to themselves as if it were a family or traditional rulership.”
He noted that Akpabio became Minority Leader in his first term during the 8th Senate and subsequently rose to Senate President. “Now he is asking us to amend the rules so that even a senator who has served only one term cannot become a principal officer,” Oshiomhole added.
According to Oshiomhole, Akpabio has not completed eight consecutive years in the Senate. Even when counting his previous and current terms, the total falls short of the proposed threshold. Consequently, Oshiomhole argues, the president should set an example by stepping down, stating, “If we pass a rule that requires eight consecutive years before one can be Senate President, the incumbent must lead by example and vacate the office because he does not meet the qualification.”
The senator also warned against using legislative bylaws to protect individual officeholders. “As leaders who are products of bylaws, we must not make laws that perpetuate any one person’s tenure,” he said.
The proposed amendment has sparked debate within the Senate and among political observers about seniority, merit and the future of leadership succession in Nigeria’s upper chamber. Further deliberations are expected in upcoming Senate sessions, where members will vote on the rule changes and consider the broader implications for the institution’s governance.
