The Nigerian Senate has reversed the controversial amendment to its Standing Orders, a move expected to reopen the contest for key leadership positions in the 11th National Assembly.
The earlier amendment had limited eligibility for principal offices to ranking senators, effectively shutting out first-time lawmakers from contesting positions such as Senate President and other top leadership roles.
The decision to reverse the amendment followed a motion moved by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele and adopted during plenary presided over by Deputy Senate President Jubril Barau.
Under the now-reversed rules, only senators who had completed two terms were eligible to contest for principal offices, with one of those terms required to be the immediate term before nomination.
With the reversal, senators previously disqualified from vying for the Senate presidency and other principal positions have now regained eligibility.
The development comes amid tensions between Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Senator Adams Oshiomhole over the interpretation of the amended Standing Rules.
The disagreement erupted after Akpabio began reading the Votes and Proceedings of Tuesday’s sitting when Oshiomhole, representing Edo North Senatorial District under the APC, raised a point of order.
Akpabio, however, ruled him out of order, citing the 2023 Standing Rules, which prohibit senators from raising points of order during that stage of proceedings.