The Senate rescinded contentious amendment to its Standing Orders 2026 on Thursday, citing concerns among legislators that some of the clauses violated the 1999 Constitution.
The reversal occurred days after the upper chamber altered portions of its rules, sparking uproar and heated debate among senators.
Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, the Senate Leader, moved the resolution at plenary, stating that a fresh legislative and constitutional analysis found that various provisions adopted under Order 2 Subsection 2 and Order 3 Subsection 1 may clash with Section 52 of the Constitution.
He said, “The Senate observes that upon further legislative and constitutional review, certain provisions introduced under Order 2 Subsection 2 and Order 3 Subsection 1 may give rise to constitutional inconsistencies and unintended tensions with the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended, particularly Section 52 thereof.”
Bamidele noted that the Senate retains the parliamentary competence to revisit and reverse previous decisions as needed to protect the integrity of its procedures.
He said the Senate “possesses the inherent parliamentary authority to revisit, rescind, and recommit any matter previously decided upon in order to preserve the integrity of its proceedings and legislative framework.”
The chamber thereafter resolved to “rescind its earlier decisions relating to the amendments made to Order 2 Subsection 2 and Order 3 Subsection 1 of the Senate Standing Orders 2026.”
Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, representing Abia South, seconded the motion.
Senator Jibrin Barau, Deputy Senate President, presided over the session and stated that the move was required to match Senate regulations 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.
However, Senator Adams Oshiomhole faulted the process that led to the earlier amendments, arguing that lawmakers acted in haste to satisfy vested interests.
“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, that next time we should allow debate,” one senator said during deliberations.
Oshiomhole’s comments led to another round of exchanges on the floor, prompting Bamidele to invoke Rule 52(6) of the Senate Standing Orders against reopening issues already decided without a substantive motion.
“If His Excellency, Distinguished Senator Adams Aliyu Oshiomole, 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 Senate leader said.
Bamidele also decried that the controversy generated by the amendments and the ensuing disagreements had overshadowed the Senate’s legislative activities.
“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 added.
