By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
A heated confrontation occurred in the Senate on Wednesday between Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Senator Adams Oshiomhole over newly amended standing rules that introduce stricter conditions for eligibility into presiding and principal offices.
The amendment, adopted after a closed-door session, is widely seen as reshaping who can contest leadership positions in the 11th Senate, expected to be inaugurated in 2027.
Under the revised Order 4, the Senate set a ranking structure for leadership nominations:
“The order of ranking are (i) Former President of the Senate, (ii) Former Deputy President of the Senate, (iii) Former Principal Officers of the Senate, (iv) Senators who had served at least one term of four years, (v) Senators who had been members of the House of Representatives, (vi) In the absence of i to v, Senators elected into the Senate for the first time.”
Order 5 further tightens eligibility, stating:
“Any Senator shall not be eligible to contest for any Principal Office of the Senate unless he has served as a Senator for at least two consecutive terms immediately proceeding nomination,” effectively excluding first-term senators and those without continuous service.
The disagreement broke out during plenary when Oshiomhole repeatedly attempted to raise a point of order during the adoption of Votes and Proceedings. The Senate President, however, ruled him out of order, insisting on strict adherence to procedural rules.
At one point, Akpabio warned:
“So, dear senators we should not come into this chamber, especially on matters as serious as contested elections, without a proper understanding of the rules.
“Therefore, Senator Oshiomhole, let me state it finally that I can use this rule to take you out of the chamber if you are not ready to comport with the Senate rules and procedures”.
Despite interventions from other senators, the ruling stood and the proceedings continued.
The development is believed to be linked to wider political positioning ahead of 2027, with concerns that the new rules could affect potential aspirants for Senate leadership positions, including serving governors expected to join the chamber after their tenure.
Among those mentioned in political discussions is the Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma, who is being speculated within political circles as part of the emerging realignments ahead of the next Senate leadership contest.
The disagreement on the Senate floor has further fuelled debate over whether the rule changes are purely procedural or deliberately crafted to shape future power dynamics within the upper legislative chamber.