Senators Tighten Rules, Bar Lawmaker Not in 10th Senate from Seeking Presiding Office

 

The Senate, yesterday, ignited fresh political controversy with sweeping amendments to its Standing Orders that would effectively bar some elected senators in the next 11th National Assembly in 2027 from contesting presiding offices, a move widely interpreted as a direct blow to the anticipated 2027 ambitions of the Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma.

The contentious changes, adopted after hours of a closed-door session, stipulated that only serving members of the current 10th Senate who had served at least one term before, and secured re-election into the 11th Senate would be eligible to contest for positions such as Senate President and Deputy Senate President when the next Assembly is inaugurated in June 2027.

Leading debate on the amendments at plenary, Deputy Senate Leader, Oyelola Ashiru, who stood in for Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, anchored the proposal on constitutional provisions empowering the legislature to regulate its internal procedures.

“Section 60 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended empowers the Senate to regulate its own procedure, including procedures for summoning and recess, as well as the appointment and regulation of committees,” Ashiru said.

Ashiru during the session, explained that the review of the Senate Standing Orders 2023 was designed to “improve legislative efficiency, entrench best parliamentary practices and enhance clarity in procedural rules,” particularly concerning the inauguration process and election of presiding officers.

However, the most contentious provision was the introduction of a strict eligibility framework which mandated that any senator seeking to contest for presiding office must have served at least two terms, amounting to eight years, with one term immediately preceding the election.

“A Senator shall not be eligible to contest as a Presiding Officer… unless he has been elected and served as a Senator for at least two terms of eight years, one term of which shall immediately precede such election,” Ashiru stated while presenting the amendment.

In addition, the revised rules provided that only senators,who have been sworn in can participate in any proceedings, including voting during the election of presiding officers, reinforcing procedural order during inauguration.

The timing and content of the amendments were significant, coming amid reports that Uzodinma, a former senator, has already obtained nomination and expression of interest forms from the All Progressives Congress and was finalising plans to resign as governor to contest for a Senate seat ahead of 2027.

Should he succeed in returning to the Senate, the new rules would nonetheless disqualify him from vying for the Senate Presidency, as he is not a member of the current 10th Senate and would not meet the requirement of serving the immediate preceding term.

Sources within the National Assembly indicated that the amendments were partly driven by a desire among ranking lawmakers to preserve institutional continuity and prevent what one senator described as “opportunistic leadership contests by newcomers.”

Ashiru, defending the provision, insisted it aligned with global parliamentary norms.

“The amendment further seeks the establishment of a clear ranking framework for eligibility to contest for presiding offices in line with parliamentary convention,” he said.

Beyond leadership eligibility, the revised Standing Orders introduced several structural and procedural changes aimed at strengthening legislative operations.

These include clearer rules on the swearing-in of absent senators-elect within a defined timeframe, revised sitting schedules to boost productivity, and enhanced disciplinary provisions governing the suspension of erring lawmakers.

The amendments also sought to ensure equitable representation across the six geopolitical zones in committee composition, while harmonising the jurisdiction of certain Senate committees with their counterparts in the House of Representatives.

Ashiru noted that the review formally recognised several newly created committees critical to national development, including those on Livestock Development, regional development commissions, and reparations.

“These committees are critical to strengthening legislative oversight, development frameworks, regional intervention agencies and socio-economic justice initiatives,” he said.

He warned that failure to update the Standing Orders would “impede effective legislative oversight, create procedural uncertainty and weaken the institutional capacity of the Senate.”

“Convinced that the proposed amendments will promote procedural certainty, enhance inclusiveness, strengthen oversight functions and align the Senate with global best parliamentary practices… the Senate should resolve into the Committee of the Whole to consider and approve the amendments,” he added.

Despite the official justification, the amendments have triggered murmurs within political circles, with critics alleging that the move was tailored to favour incumbent senators and shut out influential political entrants ahead of the 2027 power contest.

A ranking senator, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the development as “a pre-emptive strike to shape the leadership succession in the next Assembly.

“It is about control. The current leadership bloc wants to retain influence beyond 2027 by ensuring only insiders can contest for top positions,” the lawmaker said.