Senator Onyekachi Nwebonyi has defended the Senate’s amendment of its standing rules, saying the move is aimed at preserving institutional memory and ensuring continuity in the upper chamber.
Speaking on Politics Today on Channels Television on Wednesday, Nwebonyi dismissed claims that the amendment was targeted at any individual, insisting it was designed to reflect the evolving nature of the legislature.
He said the current Senate, under the leadership of Godswill Akpabio, is significantly different from earlier assemblies, including those of 1964 and 1999, stressing that modern parliamentary dynamics require lawmakers with up-to-date legislative experience.
According to him, the amendment prioritises lawmakers who are conversant with recent political developments in the National Assembly and capable of effectively piloting its affairs, particularly in leadership positions such as Senate President and Deputy Senate President.
He said: “Well, depending on the angle you are viewing it, the rules were not amended to affect a particular person or targeted at a particular person.
“What we just did, like I said earlier, is to retain institutional memory. It is also to ensure continuity. And also, experience matters, because the Senate in 1964 and, of course, the Senate in 1999 is not the Senate as it stands Today.
“So we needed somebody who is conversant with recent political developments in the parliament to be able to pilot the affairs of the Senate as the President of the Senate.
“It is not targeted at anybody. It is aimed at ensuring that experience is there, because we need an experienced person to lead as Senate President or as Deputy Senate President. That is just the rationale behind it.”
DAILY POST reported that the Senate had on Tuesday adopted the amendment through a voice vote presided over by Akpabio, restricting eligibility for presiding and principal offices to senators who have served at least two consecutive terms.
Under the revised rules, only members of the current 10th Senate who secure re-election into the 11th Senate in 2027 will be eligible to contest for the top leadership positions.
The development comes amid speculation that former governors and ex-senators, including Hope Uzodimma, Ifeanyi Okowa, and Ovie Omo-Agege, may be planning a return to the Senate ahead of the 2027 elections, with possible ambitions for its leadership.
