Senate President Godswill Akpabio and the Senator for Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, were involved in a heated confrontation on Wednesday, coming just a day after the Senate revised its standing rules to limit who can run for leadership roles.
The tension began as Akpabio started reading the Votes and Proceedings from Tuesday’s session, leading to a ten-minute disruption of the plenary.
Oshiomhole attempted to raise a point of order, but the Senate President informed him that such moves are prohibited at that specific stage under the Senate Standing Orders 2023.
When Oshiomhole refused to back down, Akpabio sought clarification from Senator Orji Kalu, who confirmed that points of order are not allowed while the Votes and Proceedings are being considered.
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Even after this, Oshiomhole continued to protest, leading Senate Whip Tahir Monguno to warn him that he could face disciplinary action for the disruption.
Moving forward with the session, Akpabio advised his colleagues to study the legislative guidelines more closely. “We should not just go home, buy forms and come here without knowing the rules,” he said.
The Senate President also gave Oshiomhole a final warning regarding his behavior in the chamber, saying, “Oshiomhole, if you become unruly, we will use the rules to take you out of the Senate,” as he moved to restore order to the proceedings.
Following the argument, the session returned to order and the Votes and Proceedings were formally adopted.
The friction is widely seen as a reaction to the Senate’s decision to amend Orders 4 and 5 of its Standing Rules.
These changes now require senators to have served at least two consecutive terms to be eligible for presiding or principal offices.
This new ranking system effectively bars Oshiomhole and other first-term senators from contesting for leadership positions.
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