Adams Oshiomhole: Nigerian Senate Humiliated Itself By Passing Unconstitutional Rules, Risks Breeding Dictatorship
Oshiomhole says rushed Senate amendments violated constitutional provisions and could encourage dictatorship through politically-motivated rule changes in Nigeria.
Oshiomhole says rushed Senate amendments violated constitutional provisions and could encourage dictatorship through politically-motivated rule changes in Nigeria.
Senator representing Edo North Senatorial District, Adams Oshiomhole, has criticised the Senate’s controversial amendment of its Standing Rules, warning that the changes risk encouraging dictatorship and undermine constitutional order.
Speaking in an interview on ARISE NEWS on Tuesday, Oshiomhole accused the Senate of rushing through amendments without proper scrutiny, saying the process exposed lawmakers to “humiliation” after parts of the changes were later reversed for conflicting with the Nigerian Constitution.
Oshiomhole said lawmakers failed to carefully examine the implications of the amendments before passing them.
“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,” he said.
He added, “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.”
The former Edo State governor said senators should have been given sufficient time to study the proposed amendments before deliberations.
“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, 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.
He maintained that the reversal of part of the amendment shortly after its passage showed the dangers of hurried lawmaking.
“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.”
Oshiomhole further 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 senator argued that leadership positions in the National Assembly should be determined by the support and confidence of lawmakers rather than restrictive eligibility rules.
“What you need is to have the support and the binding of your colleague. Simple,” he said.
Oshiomhole insisted that his objections were based on principle rather than personal interest, saying his concern was to protect democratic processes within the legislature.
