Akpabio: Senate Went Through The Humiliation Of Reversing Itself – Oshiomhole

The Senator representing Edo North Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Adams Oshiomhole, has warned that the Senate risks making errors when legislative actions are rushed.

Speaking against the backdrop of the recent controversial amendment of Senate standing rules, Oshiomhole warned that improper legislation can encourage dictatorship and undermine constitutional order.

Papers News reports that the Senator made his views known on Tuesday while speaking during an interview with Arise News.

He said rushing through amendments without proper scrutiny exposed lawmakers to “humiliation” after parts of the changes were later reversed for conflicting with the Nigerian Constitution.

“My view is, we must not rush in making laws. Every clause, every word, is beneficial scrutiny. So rushing, bam, bam, bam, bam, bam. At the end of the day, we have made a couple of mistakes a couple of times.

“Making laws that are in conflict with existing laws that the National Assembly has made. Or even more seriously, making laws that are in conflict with the Nigeria constitution. And the only way to avoid those avoidable errors is to have a proper debate,” he said.

The former Governor of Edo State advised that it is important for Senators to have advance copies of legislation to be debated during plenary so they can make informed contributions.

“Anything you want to do, whether it is rule-changing or law-making, it is important that senators have the benefit of advanced copies. Read it, study it, that is what we are supposed to have,” he stated.

Oshiomhole also faulted the handling of his attempt to raise a point of order during plenary, which eventually led to a clash with Senate President Godswill Akpabio, saying Senate procedures were ignored while the amendments were being considered.

“So I raised that point of order, and he declined to allow me to raise it,” he said.

According to Oshiomhole, the Senate was eventually humiliated as it had to forcefully reverse part of the earlier amendment shortly after its passage.

“As you can see, there is no better evidence of the danger of rushing than the fact that the senate has to go through the humiliation of revising itself that it has made laws or rules that are in conflict with the Nigerian constitution.”

He warned that altering rules to target specific political figures or shape future leadership contests could weaken democratic institutions and create authoritarian tendencies.

“You don’t make law either for yourself, or make law against specific individuals that you fear will come. That is the beginning of the road to life presidency and dictatorship,” he said.

The Edo North lawmaker submitted that leadership positions in the National Assembly should be determined by the support and confidence of lawmakers rather than restrictive eligibility rules.

He added that his objections to the proposed amendments were based on principle and the need to protect the integrity of the National Assembly, rather than personal interest.

“What you need is to have the support and the binding of your colleague. Simple,” he said.