By Nefishetu Yakubu
The Senate on Thursday rescinded the earlier amendments to Orders 2(2) and 3(1) of the Senate Standing Orders 2023 (as amended), retaining previous rules after the emergence of constitutional concerns.
However, the revision was accompanied by warning to Sen. Adams Oshiomhole who had fiercely opposed the amendment during the plenary on Wednesday.
The senate had recently amended the standing rules, restricting principal leadership positions exclusively to lawmakers serving, at least, second terms.
The revised provisions stated that only serving 10th Senate lawmakers re-elected during the 2027 elections would qualify to contest principal officer positions.
Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele (Ekiti Central), moved the motion for rescission and re-committal of Orders 2(2) and 3(1) during plenary proceedings on Thursday in Abuja, with the Minority Leader, Abba Moro (Benue South), seconding it.
Bamidele said further legislative and constitutional reviews revealed possible conflicts with provisions of Nigeria’s Constitution, particularly Section 52, necessitating immediate parliamentary corrections.
He said that the senate retained authority to revisit, rescind and recommit previously concluded matters to protect legislative integrity, parliamentary convention and legislative practice.
The senate subsequently rescinded its earlier decision regarding amendments to Orders 2(2) and 3(1) of the senate standing orders and retained previous provisions.
Deputy Senate President, Jibrin Barau, who presided over the plenary, described the motion as straightforward and necessary for ensuring compliance with constitutional provisions.
“This is a very straightforward motion; it’s just for us to go in conformity with the constitution. I thank the leader for being observant and up to his game as the leader of the senate by making this observation.
“It is something that is very clear and we don’t need any debate in respect of this,” Barau said.
In a swift reaction, Sen. Adams Oshiomhole criticized the manner through which the initial amendments were passed, insisting that the lawmakers rushed the process without allowing extensive debates.
“The way we rushed the rules, because certain people wanted certain things concluded, is one flaw to this process.
“That is just the point I want to make. Next time, we should allow for robust debates,” Oshiomhole said.
Bamidele raised a point of order under Rule 52(6), cautioning senators against revisiting concluded matters without presenting substantive rescission motions before the senate.
“If His Excellency, Distinguished Sen. Adams Oshiomhole had any problem with the decisions that were taken with respect to the amendment two days ago, what he was expected to do was to bring a substantive motion for rescission to be debated on the floor of this parliament.
“The drama witnessed in the chamber the previous day had overshadowed substantive legislative business,” he said.
Bamidele stated that the disruptions witnessed during previous proceedings overshadowed substantive legislative business, insisting that the senate would not permit unnecessary drama during future deliberations in the chamber.
“Regardless of what was done in this hallowed chamber yesterday, what became the news out of this hallowed chamber was that unnecessary drama, and we are not going to allow this to continue,” he said.
The senate also rescinded its earlier decision on the National Identity Management Commission (Establishment) Bill, 2026 and recommitted it to the Committee of the Whole for reconsideration.
Moving the motion for the rescission, leader of the senate, said upon review, certain fundamental drafting and substantial issues were identified in the long title.
Bamidele noted that specific provisions of the bill, particularly clauses 4(6), 8(j), 35-40 and the exemplary memorandum for passage, needed legislative reconsideration.
The senate, thereafter, recommitted to the committee of the whole and passed the bill.
(NAN)
