By Kingston Magare 8.5.2026
Adams Oshiomhole the Senator representing Edo North in the National Assembly has called on Senate president Godswill Akpabio to vacate his seat.
Oshiomhole argued that Akpabio with whom he clashed Wednesday over Senate standing rules for electing new principle was not eligible to occupy the seat having not reached the mandatory eight years required by the rules.
During the debate Oshiomhole opposed Akpabio’s insistence on amending the standing rules which proposes to bar newcomers from becoming principal officers in the Senate.
“The beauty of democracy is why that Section 70 is inserted into the constitution, when they say ayes or nays, you can’t hold your signatures responsible for saying I wasn’t one of them,” said Oshiomhole while addressing journalists in Abuja.
“I want Nigerians to say who are those senators who are trying to narrow future leadership to themselves as if it’s a family or traditional rulership?
“Let me say why this thing has serious moral crisis. The Senate President became Minority Leader in his first term when he got into the office in the 8th Senate; he became a principal officer. He’s now the one presiding and asking us to change those rules such that even somebody who has done one term can’t become principal officers.
“Number two, as we speak today, the Senate President has not done eight years in office, even if you count the previous one plus the current one it is not up to eight years.
“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 is presiding without the appropriate qualification.
“But more offensive to me is that, as leaders who are product of bye-laws, we mustn’t make laws to perpetuate anyone.”