Wetin be di changes for Senate rule book wey cause gbas-gbos betwin Akpabio and Oshiomhole?

Drama bin play out for di floor of di Nigeria Senate on Wednesday as roforofo quarrel almost burst out between di Senate President Godswill Akpabio and di Senator representing Edo North Senatorial District, Adams Oshiomhole.

Di mata bin dey serious as di two ranking senators bin exchange hot argument for more dan 10 minutes, according to local tori pipo, sotay Akpabio cut Oshiomhole warning say if e no behave well, dem go use force comot am for di senate chambers.

Di disagreement na sake of some amendments for di senate standing orders concerning how to elect presiding officers and principal officers. Presiding officers na di Senate President and im deputy, while principal officers include di Senate leader, di Chief Whip, di minority leader and di minority whip, plus dia deputies.

Di Senate standing orders na di guide for how members of di upper legislative chamber dey conduct dia business, and e contain directions for evritin, from how dem dey allocate sitting positions to di punishment for senators wey no do well.

For instance, for March 2025, di Senate bin suspend one of dia members, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, for six months afta dem accuse am say she disobey dia standing rule as she no gree take di seat wey dem allocate to am.

So wetin be di changes for di Senate standing orders wey dey cause dis kasala?

By convention, di position of Senate President na usually for "ranking senators", and dis mean say members wey get experience for di workings of di senate, wey e no be dia first time, but dis amendment don add some oda provisions.

Orders four and five of di senate standing order na some of di ogbonge changes wey di senators make on Tuesday wey some senators like Adams Oshiomhole no agree wit.

According to di amended 'order four', nominations for presiding officers must to follow a seniority pattern and also take legislative experience into consideration.

So di considerations must follow dis pattern:

For example, dis mean say afta di 2027 elections, if Godswill Akpabio win re-election and also wan contest again for Senate President, dem must first consider am bifor dem go consider any oda candidate.

Den, di amended 'order five' tok say for any senator to dey eligible to contest for any Principal Office, dat pesin go don serve as Senator for at least two consecutive terms immediately preceding nomination.

Dis mean say senators wey no dey for di 9th and dis current 10th Senate no go fit contest for presiding officer positions for di 11th Senate in 2027.

Deputy majority leader of di Senate Oyelola Ashiru, who bin stand in for di majority leader Opeyemi Bamidele, defend dis new changes as e tok say e go strengthen di legislative processes and make sure say di institution dey stable.

Ashiru also tok say Section 60 of di 1999 Constitution give di senate authority to make rules wey go dey guide dia internal procedures, including rules about dia leadership selection.

To amend di senate rules no dey like amending di constitution or any laws of di kontri, so e no require di approval of di president bifor e go become law. Di only tin wey dey required na simple majority and di changes go come into effect.

Wetin cause quarrel betwin Oshiomhole and Akpabio?

On Wednesday, afta di senate plenary start, Akpabio bin start to read out di procedures of di previous day and wetin all di members bin agree, but wen e reach for di part of di new changes to dia rule book, Oshiomhole raise hand say e get point of order.

However, Akpabio rule am out of order as e tok say according to dia standing rule, di time to raise point of order don pass, but Oshiomhole insist say e must talk im mind.

Oda senators, including di Chief Whip, Tahir Monguno, try to intervene for di mata to tell Oshiomhole say point of order no fit dey entertained for dat stage, but e continue to shout.

Las las, Akpabio para as e warn members of di senate say make dem always study dia standing rule and make sure say dem dey abide by am.

"We no get new senator any longer. If you be policeman you must to wear your police uniform, if you be soja you must to wear your army uniform, and if you be senator you must go by di rules," Akpabio tok.

"No be just to go home, fill form, contest election, come hia witout knowing anytin about di rules... So, please Senator Oshiomhole, for di last time, if you become unruly, we go use dis same rules to take you out of di Senate. Dis na di last warning," Akpabio tell Oshiomhole, and e be like say di warning work as Oshiomhole calm down and di Senate proceedings continue.

Wetin pipo dey tok about dis new senate rule

Dr. Chibuzor Okereke, wey be sabi pesin for politics mata, tok say dis new rule no dey enforceable, as according to am, di only tin wey dey required on di day of election of presiding officers of di senate na for one member to nominate somebodi and anoda memba to second di nomination.

"According to Rule 4(3) of di senate standing rule, 'no debate, question, or privilege fit dey raised during di election of presiding officer', so no motion fit challenge di eligibility of a candidate for dat stage," oga Okereke tok for TV interview on Wednesday.

Oda pipo wey chook mouth for di mata on top social media say dis new rule be like say e dey target to block road for di current govnor of Imo State Hope Uzodinma who rumours dey tok say e dey eye di senate president position.

Uzodinma bin don serve as senator representing Imo West Senatorial District for two terms - 2011 to 2019, and e don already get di nomination form to run for Senate in 2027 wen im second term as govnor go end.

One X account wit di username 'Political Phoenix' post say: "Di rumoured Senate Presidency ambition of Hope Uzodimma don reportedly hit major wall and dis no be politics as usual."

Howeva, anoda X user, @Ifedayo_Johnson, tok say standing rules of di senate no go fit override di constitution of di kontri wey tok for section 50 say "dia shall be president and deputy president of di senate who go dey elected by di members from among diasef".

"Electing returning members as SP na mere tradition. Anybodi fit aspire to be Senate President," e tok.