Oshiomhole Says Senate Standing Order Disqualifies Akpabio as Senate President

Senator Adams Oshiomhole has argued that the current Senate Standing Order amendment precludes Senate President Godswill Akpabio from occupying the office, insisting that the legal and constitutional debate over the Senate’s leadership is far from over.

Speaking on the controversy surrounding the Senate’s ranking and eligibility requirements on Arise TV on Tuesday, Oshiomhole said the position earlier expressed by Senator Adeniyi Adegbonmire was correct, particularly regarding the interpretation of the amended Standing Order.

According to Oshiomhole, Akpabio’s cumulative years in the Senate do not meet the minimum eight-year requirement stipulated for the office of Senate President.

“The current Senate President served a four-year term, lost his reelection bid, served as a minister, and returned this term to become Senate President again,” Oshiomhole said.

“If you add his first term to his current term, he still has not served eight years. If eight years is the minimum requirement, Senator Akpabio does not qualify to preside because he has not met it.”

The former Edo State governor further argued that if Akpabio assumed office based on an error in interpretation, such an error should be corrected in line with the law.

“If he assumed the role in error, that error must be corrected,” he stated.

Oshiomhole also criticised the inclusion of the word “consecutively” in the amended Standing Order, arguing that it effectively reduces the Senate President’s tenure for ranking purposes and undermines democratic principles.

“The word ‘consecutively’ effectively reduces the Senate President’s term to three years for ranking purposes. These kinds of laws are what breed dictatorship in Africa,” he added.