₦airaland Forum

Senate Restricts Its Senate Presidency To Returning 10th Assembly Members.

By implication, only senators currently serving in the 10th Assembly who secure re-election into the 11th Senate will qualify to vie for the Senate presidency and other principal positions.

In a major shift to its internal rules, the Senate has amended its standing orders to restrict eligibility for the office of Senate President to members of the 10th National Assembly.

The decision followed a marathon closed-door session on Tuesday, after which lawmakers agreed on new criteria aimed at reinforcing parliamentary hierarchy and experience. Under the revised rules, only senators who have served two terms will be eligible to contest for principal offices.

The amendment further stipulates that at least one of the two terms must be the immediate term preceding the nomination, effectively narrowing the field of contenders.

The amended Order 4 states, “Nomination of Senators to serve as Presiding Officers shall be in accordance with the ranking of Senators and shall be strictly adhered to.

"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, and (vi) in the absence of i to v, Senators elected into the Senate for the first time.”

By implication, only senators currently serving in the 10th Assembly who secure re-election into the 11th Senate will qualify to vie for the Senate presidency and other principal positions.

The Senate said the move is intended to strengthen adherence to the tradition of ranking within the legislative chamber.

https://www.channelstv.com/2026/05/05/senate-restricts-its-presidency-to-returning-10th-assembly-members/
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asiwaju60:
Senate Restricts Its Senate Presidency To Returning 10th Assembly Members.


By implication, only senators currently serving in the 10th Assembly who secure re-election into the 11th Senate will qualify to vie for the Senate presidency and other principal positions.

In a major shift to its internal rules, the Senate has amended its standing orders to restrict eligibility for the office of Senate President to members of the 10th National Assembly.

The decision followed a marathon closed-door session on Tuesday, after which lawmakers agreed on new criteria aimed at reinforcing parliamentary hierarchy and experience. Under the revised rules, only senators who have served two terms will be eligible to contest for principal offices.

The amendment further stipulates that at least one of the two terms must be the immediate term preceding the nomination, effectively narrowing the field of contenders.

The amended Order 4 states, “Nomination of Senators to serve as Presiding Officers shall be in accordance with the ranking of Senators and shall be strictly adhered to.

“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, and (vi) in the absence of i to v, Senators elected into the Senate for the first time.”

By implication, only senators currently serving in the 10th Assembly who secure re-election into the 11th Senate will qualify to vie for the Senate presidency and other principal positions.

The Senate said the move is intended to strengthen adherence to the tradition of ranking within the legislative chamber.

https://www.channelstv.com/2026/05/05/senate-restricts-its-presidency-to-returning-10th-assembly-members/

Mynd44

I Dey Laff in Swahili
Nigeria will be great

Governor Hope Uzodinma, who has been making clandestine moves to abandon his post before his tenure expires in January 2028 to chase a Senate seat and possibly the Senate presidency, now finds himself in a fix, or at best will be forced to abandon the plan outright.

This amendment is unconstitutional and should be challenged in a court of law. All elected Senators are equal. They should all have equal rights to contest for any presiding office. If the 9th Senate had done a similar amendment to the standing rules, would Akpabio have been elected Senate President?

Akpabio trying to retain his position. He has probably seen the handwriting on the wall.

Useless thieves, all of them!

To continue to loot , nothing more Akpabio trying to retain his office

Akpabio has seen the downfall of APC
Such move screams desperate last minute attempt like when a goalkeeper runs out for a chance to score a corner kick in last minute of a final.

Northern politicians are taking good notes for their turn 😂 I hope people don't complain when it gets to them, because they're more extreme than the South.

Rubbish!

How can they assume any of them will return?

Do they even realize that there are new political parties?

You can't exclude others because the Senate president position is just a first among equals.

Wetin we no go see for this APC rubber stamp assembly?

seunmsg:
This amendment is unconstitutional and should be challenged in a court of law. All elected Senators are equal. They should all have equal rights to contest for any presiding office. If the 9th Senate had done a similar amendment to the standing rules, would Akpabio have been elected Senate President?

It started since David Mark or Saraki🤷🏿

Undemocratic. The present Senators lack powers to make this decree.

Ofunaofu:
Governor Hope Uzodinma, who has been making clandestine moves to abandon his post before his tenure expires in January 2028 to chase a Senate seat and possibly the Senate presidency, now finds himself in a fix, or at best will be forced to abandon the plan outright.

One man they fear, Hope Uzodinma.

These ones are gearing up to make life difficult for any incoming President other than the incumbent.

If the president comes from any other party, he will have to deal with these current rubber stamp Senate leaders from APC. They definitely will make things difficult for him.

All these dirty politics MUST stop. This doesn't serve the interest of the masses. They are simply just after their own interest.

Nchenches:
Undemocratic. The present Senators lack powers to make this decree.

I absolutely agree with you.

Gotocourt:
It started since David Mark or Saraki🤷🏿

Starting does not mean codification. It was never a rule even with David Mark or Saraki.

Know the difference between a practice and a rule.

They want to put Uzodimma in a box

Es350:
Akpabio trying to retain his position. He has probably seen the handwriting on the wall.

Useless thieves, all of them!

Pls what handwriting is on the wall?

Bentacur007:
I Dey Laff in Swahili
Nigeria will be great

God Bless Nigeria. In that childs voice

Es350:
Akpabio trying to retain his position. He has probably seen the handwriting on the wall.

Useless thieves, all of them!

God will save us......We even need saving from our Religious peddlers

I so like this.

Now, we Nigerians can decide at election which "senators who have served two terms" that we don't want to contest for principal offices. The only bad thing is it's their constituents who vote, and they might like whom the rest of us don't.

All the same, I nominate the Honourable Chief The Ai's have it. The Ai's have it".


I just hope Akwa Ibom North-West voters support or will inflict him on us again.

Please know, a new majority can pass a new motion to cancel this if we elect enough new people.

⁶

This is targeted at a possible new entrant

Hope Uzodinma was a Senator before becoming a Governor...

Court won't have much say over legislative internal business like their order rule book on selecting their members. Court is interested on what ever disturbs your exercise of legislative duties. Not internal business

asiwaju60:
Senate Restricts Its Senate Presidency To Returning 10th Assembly Members.



https://www.channelstv.com/2026/05/05/senate-restricts-its-presidency-to-returning-10th-assembly-members/
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It was bukola and his gang that scatter that Senate rule arrangement.

Ofunaofu:
Governor Hope Uzodinma, who has been making clandestine moves to abandon his post before his tenure expires in January 2028 to chase a Senate seat and possibly the Senate presidency, now finds himself in a fix, or at best will be forced to abandon the plan outright.

Only if he doesn't have presidential backing or cannot influence majority of the senators, even if you are a first time senator, Nigeria constitution allows you to become senate President and the last time I checked, Nigeria constitution is superior to any senate rules.


If Ekremandu of PDP could become DEPUTY SENATE PRESIDENT, how much more chairman of APC gov.

Akpabio is worse than Lawan, it is funny how narrow minded this present senators thinks, they are just shallow.

More evidence Nigeria does not have any shadow of a democracy.

Traore for life!🎉🎉🎉🎉

Everything decided “behind closed door meetings” like CULTISTS!

Hope Uzodimma, hope you are seeing the handwriting on the wall. Mind you, they just want to checkmate your next move which your close aliens are deeply involved.

seunmsg:
This amendment is unconstitutional and should be challenged in a court of law. All elected Senators are equal. They should all have equal rights to contest for any presiding office. If the 9th Senate had done a similar amendment to the standing rules, would Akpabio have been elected Senate President?

I hope we never find people like you in power.
Every organisation has its internal laws that guide it, even a little child knows that. Even a home has its internal rules that guide it's affairs. Or has your mother started running election for equal rights with your since they are both parents they should have equal say?

You would be comfortable with a senator without prior experience in the legislature to be president when otter seasoned senators are sitting right there?

You children amaze me

Omowale2023:
Sir you are totally wrong. Why should i not vie for the post? Mind you, this is an elective post not an appointed post. The rule can only apply if the post is an appointed one. Who owns the Senate? Nigeria or Nigerians? Your guess is as bad as mine.

Even in small village meetings they have internal rules. There is no organization that doesn't have internal rules.
Even the political parties have their rule.
For example in the ADC constitution says you must be a member of the party for minimum 2 years before you can vie for the position of the Party chairman, which David and his geng didn't comply with.

So many organisations have similar internal rules.
If you are not comfortable with the rules you leave.

If you are not comfortable with the ADC constitution you leave,
Same with the Senate.

Same with states thats like Lagos who have their internal rules such as the monthly sanitation.
If you are not comfortable with the monthly sanitation you leave Lagos

So what will happen if they're all voted out and not returned or the returned senators choose to remain as "bench warmers"?