The Senate on Thursday rescinded its controversial amendment to the Standing Orders on the election of presiding officers, a move that effectively restores broader participation rights for all senators and reopens the contest for key leadership positions.
The reversal followed a motion moved by the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, who warned that the earlier changes could trigger constitutional inconsistencies and heighten tensions within the red chamber.
The amendment, introduced earlier in the week, had restricted participation in leadership elections to only senators who had taken the Oath of Office and Allegiance as stipulated in the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution.
However, with Thursday’s decision, all duly elected senators—regardless of oath status—are now eligible to vote and be voted for in the election of the Senate President and Deputy Senate President.
The resolution was adopted during plenary presided over by the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin.
The earlier amendment had sparked unease among lawmakers, with some interpreting it as a move that could limit eligibility and tilt the balance in favour of certain contenders, particularly ahead of future leadership contests.
Tension resurfaced briefly during Thursday’s session when Senator Adams Oshiomhole raised a point of order seeking to clarify his position from a previous disagreement with the Senate President over lawmakers’ right to express dissenting views.
But the Deputy Senate President ruled him out of order, noting that the matter had already been addressed.
Backing the ruling, Bamidele urged lawmakers to channel grievances through formal legislative procedures, cautioning against what he described as unnecessary “drama” on the Senate floor.
The development marks a swift legislative turnaround by the upper chamber, signalling sensitivity to constitutional concerns and internal dissent as the 11th National Assembly continues to navigate leadership dynamics.
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