Fresh controversy has engulfed the Nigerian Senate after Senator Adams Oshiomhole publicly called on Senate President Godswill Akpabio to resign over the controversial amendment to the Senate standing rules that was later reversed.
In a viral video circulating online, the former Edo State governor strongly criticised the now-aborted amendment on leadership eligibility within the upper chamber, describing the development as evidence of what he termed a deepening “moral crisis” in the Senate.
“Now, let me say why this senate has serious moral crisis,” Oshiomhole said while addressing the issue.
The former national chairman of the All Progressives Congress questioned the rationale behind the Senate leadership’s attempt to alter a set of rules that had previously produced former Senate President David Mark and also enabled Akpabio’s own emergence as Senate President.
Oshiomhole pointed out that Akpabio himself did not spend eight consecutive years in the Senate before becoming a principal officer and eventually rising to the position of Senate President.
“He became a principal officer, minority leader,” Oshiomhole said while recounting Akpabio’s political trajectory.
According to him, if the proposed amendment requiring eight consecutive years of service before a senator can contest for Senate President had been allowed to stand, Akpabio would have automatically become ineligible to remain in office.
“So if we pass the rules that you must do eight consecutive years before you can be senate president, it means he has to lead by example by vacating because he’s presiding without acquiring the appropriate qualification,” he said.
Oshiomhole maintained that the Senate’s long-standing rules had served the institution well over the years and argued that there was no justifiable reason to alter them.
“Those rules that enabled David Mark to preside for eight years, what is wrong with them?” he asked.
“Those rules that enabled this senate president to contest for senate presidency, what is wrong with them? Why changing it now?”
He further accused the Senate leadership of attempting to manipulate the rules to eliminate competition and shape the leadership structure of the 11th Senate ahead of 2027.
“And now he wants to change it. If other people are afraid, I’m not afraid. I’m only afraid of my creator,” he declared.
In an emotional closing remark that has generated widespread reactions online, Oshiomhole reflected on accountability and mortality.
“Because I’ve seen whether you tell the lie, you tell the truth, the date of death, you can’t adjust it either forward or backward,” he added.
The comments come barely hours after the Senate rescinded the controversial amendment following backlash from lawmakers and concerns over its constitutional implications.
The reversal has reopened the contest for Senate leadership in the 11th National Assembly and exposed fresh cracks within the upper legislative chamber.
What You Should Know
The controversy stems from a recently reversed Senate rule amendment that would have restricted eligibility for top Senate leadership positions to lawmakers with at least eight consecutive years of service.
Critics argued the amendment was designed to shape the 2027 Senate leadership race and sideline potential contenders.
Oshiomhole’s public criticism has intensified tensions within the Red Chamber and raised fresh questions about internal power struggles ahead of the next National Assembly leadership contest.
