Senate reverses controversial rule, reopens 2027 leadership race

By Johnson Arua

The Senate on Thursday reversed its earlier decision barring first-time senators from contesting for key leadership positions in the upper chamber, reopening the race for the offices of Senate President and Deputy Senate President ahead of the 2027 inauguration of the 11th National Assembly.

The reversal came barely 48 hours after the Senate had amended its Standing Orders to introduce stricter eligibility criteria for the emergence of presiding officers, a move that had generated widespread debate within political circles and among lawmakers.

The amendment adopted on Tuesday followed a marathon executive session and effectively restricted the contest for Senate President and other top positions to ranking lawmakers returning to the chamber in the next Assembly.

Under the now-rescinded provisions, preference for leadership positions was to follow a hierarchy beginning with former Senate Presidents, former Deputy Senate Presidents, former Principal Officers, senators who had completed at least one full term, lawmakers transitioning from the House of Representatives, and finally first-time senators where no higher-ranking candidates were available.

The controversial rule also stipulated that only senators returning from the current 10th Assembly after re-election would be eligible to contest for Senate President and other principal offices.

However, the Senate reversed itself during plenary on Thursday through a motion sponsored by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, APC, Ekiti Central, and presided over by Deputy Senate President Jubril Barau.

Speaking on the motion, Bamidele said the Senate decided to revisit the amendment following further legislative and constitutional reviews which indicated that some of the provisions could conflict with the Constitution.

According to him, “The Senate recalls that the Senate Standing Orders were considered and amended on Tuesday, 5th May, 2026.

Observes that upon further legislative and constitutional review, certain provisions introduced under Order 2(2) and Order 3(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.”

He further stated that the Senate needed to ensure that its Standing Orders remained fully consistent with constitutional provisions, parliamentary conventions and legislative practices, adding that the chamber possesses the authority to revisit and rescind previous decisions in order to preserve the integrity of its proceedings.

With the reversal, the contest for leadership positions in the 11th Senate has now been thrown open to all elected senators irrespective of their tenure or ranking status, a development observers say could intensify political maneuvering ahead of the next Assembly.

The Senate also adopted the “Rescission and Re-Committal of Order 2(2) and Order 3(1) of the Senate Standing Orders, 2023, as amended,” alongside the recommittal of the National Identity Management Commission (Establishment) Bill, 2026 to the Committee of the Whole.