Senate: Eight-year ranking rule remains, 2027 Senate Presidency eligibility unchanged

The Senate has clarified that its recent reversal of some standing rule amendments does not affect the eight-year ranking requirement for senators seeking presiding offices, keeping the eligibility criteria for the 2027 Senate presidency intact.

Two ranking senators said Thursday that the motion moved by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele addressed only procedural changes, not the qualification rule mandating eight consecutive years of tenure for candidates for Senate President and Deputy Senate President.

-Procedural change, not eligibility-

Bamidele told plenary that the amendment adopted on May 5, 2026, had been rescinded after further review revealed constitutional inconsistencies.

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“The Senate Standing Order was amended on 5th May, 2026. Upon further legislative and constitutional review, certain conditions introduced under Order 2 Subsection 2 and Order 3 Subsection 1 may give rise to constitutional inconsistency and bring tension with the provision of the Constitution,” he said.

“The Standing Order should remain consistent with constitutional provision.”

Lawmakers unanimously adopted the reversal during Thursday’s session presided over by Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin.

A ranking senator told THE CONCLAVE that the rescinded amendment conflicted with Section 52 of the 1999 Constitution. The change had required senators-elect to be sworn in before voting for presiding officers.

However, the Constitution stipulates that the Senate President is sworn in first by the Clerk of the National Assembly before administering the oath to other senators-elect.

-Eligibility rule remains untouched-

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Adeniyi Adegbomire, SAN, dismissed reports that the presidency had ordered the reversal or that eligibility criteria had been altered.

“The issue of eligibility stays and it is different from what we rescinded. We rescinded the order of oath taking and eligibility to contest election. This is for clarity,” he said after plenary.

Adegbomire explained that the earlier proposal was purely procedural — shifting oath-taking to before the election of presiding officers.

“In the past, you don’t have to be sworn in before you vote for the Senate President and Deputy Senate President and now they said be sworn in first, before election. Members were of the opinion that the constitution says ‘you may,’ so to avoid any controversy thereafter, we decided to revert to the old order.”

-What was rescinded-

The Thursday order paper captioned “Recission and Recommittal of Order 2(2) and Order 3(1)” noted that the procedural change could create constitutional tensions, particularly with Section 52 of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

The Senate said it was necessary to ensure its standing orders remain fully consistent with constitutional provisions, established parliamentary conventions, and legislative practice.