Senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, has insisted that it is mandatory for lawmakers in the Senate to have access to motions before they are considered and passed on the floor of the Red Chamber.
Speaking in an interview with Arise News, monitored by The News Chronicle, Oshiomhole was reacting to his recent confrontation with Senate President Godswill Akpabio over an alleged refusal to allow him raise a point of order during a controversy surrounding amendments to the Senate Standing Orders.
He argued that proper legislative procedure requires that the presiding officer “divide the House” when necessary to ensure due process in amending standing rules.
Oshiomhole stressed that the incident was not personal, but a matter of principle aimed at safeguarding democratic practice in the Senate.
“There was nothing personal. I was only insisting on how things should be done so that no senator is treated as less important, or as if we are under dictatorship,” he said.
He added: “That’s how you end up with a 91-year-old president in Nigeria. Akpabio is my friend, but national interest supersedes personal relationships. I never called for the Senate President’s resignation.”
The former Edo State governor further clarified that his criticism was directed at institutional conduct, not Akpabio’s person, questioning what he described as the moral responsibility attached to leadership roles in the chamber.
On electoral reforms, Oshiomhole said his personal experience of alleged election manipulation under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has strengthened his resolve to push for credible, free and fair elections in Nigeria.
Speaking on xenophobic attacks against Nigerians in South Africa, the senator said the killing of Nigerians abroad without accountability is unacceptable, stressing that human lives must take precedence over economic or diplomatic considerations.
“The South African President only reacted after I raised the alarm. I’m glad Nigerians in South Africa now know someone spoke up for them,” he added.
