AKPABIO’S SENATE PRESIDENCY UNDER FRESH FIRE AS OSHIOMHOLE DECLARES: “STANDING ORDER PRECLUDES HIM”

The Arise News has taken to its official X handle and announced that, a fresh political storm has erupted within the nation’s legislative circle as former Edo State Governor and Senator representing Edo North Senatorial District, Adams Oshiomhole, openly challenged the legality of the continued stay of Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, at the helm of the Red Chamber, insisting that the current Senate Standing Order does not qualify him to preside over the Senate.
In what is already generating intense debate across political and legal circles, Oshiomhole declared that the controversy surrounding the Senate leadership “is far from over,” maintaining that the interpretation earlier offered by Senator Adeniyi Adegbonmire, SAN, remains valid and constitutionally significant.
The outspoken federal lawmaker argued that by the existing Senate Standing Order, the Senate President must possess a minimum of eight years of legislative experience before qualifying to occupy the exalted office. According to him, Senator Akpabio has not fulfilled that condition.
Oshiomhole stressed that although Akpabio previously served a four-year term in the Senate before losing reelection and later becoming a minister, his return to the National Assembly does not automatically satisfy the eight-year ranking requirement stipulated under the current legislative framework.
According to the former Nigeria Labour Congress president, combining Akpabio’s previous tenure with his current one still falls short of the constitutional threshold required to legitimately preside over the Senate.
“What Sen. Adeniyi Adegbonmire, SAN, said about the Senate Standing Order amendment is correct. That’s why I said the fight is not over,” Oshiomhole declared.
He further argued that if the Senate President assumed office under an interpretation inconsistent with the Standing Order, such an error should not be allowed to stand unchecked.
“If eight years is the minimum requirement, Sen. Akpabio does not qualify to preside because he has not met it. If he assumed the role in error, that error must be corrected,” he stated firmly.
The lawmaker also took a swipe at the controversial inclusion of the word “consecutively” in the amended Senate rule, warning that such a provision dangerously alters the intended ranking system within the upper legislative chamber.
According to Oshiomhole, the insertion effectively reduces the Senate President’s ranking qualification to merely three years in practical terms — a situation he described as unhealthy for democratic growth and institutional integrity.
In a strongly worded criticism, the former APC National Chairman warned that manipulative legislative provisions and selective interpretations of parliamentary rules are among the major factors responsible for the rise of authoritarian tendencies across Africa.
“These kinds of laws are what breed dictatorship in Africa,” Oshiomhole warned.
Political observers say the latest remarks may reopen internal tensions within the Senate and further intensify scrutiny over the interpretation of parliamentary rules governing leadership eligibility in the National Assembly.
The development is already sparking conversations among constitutional lawyers, political analysts, and party stakeholders, many of whom believe the controversy could trigger another round of legal and political confrontations within the ruling establishment.
While supporters of Senate President Akpabio insist that his emergence followed due parliamentary process and enjoys the backing of the majority of senators, critics argue that legality must always supersede political convenience.
Analysts also warn that the controversy, if not carefully managed, could deepen existing cracks within the power structure of the National Assembly and reignite debates over transparency, internal democracy, and constitutional compliance in Nigeria’s legislative process.
For now, the political battle line appears drawn — and as Oshiomhole bluntly puts it, “the fight is not over.”