AfriqueCAN
SENATE President Godswill Akpabio has been challenged to vacate his position at the upper chamber as a way of showing leadership by example.
This call was made by senator Adams Oshiomhole, who represents Edo North.
According to Oshiomhole, who was reacting to the controversial move to bar newcomers from becoming principal officers in the Senate through the amendment of the Standing Rules, Akpabio has not done eight years in the Senate to warrant him becoming the Senate President.
It was on this claim that the former Edo State Governor is challenging the Senate President to step down from his position as the number one presiding officer of the National Assembly.
“The beauty of democracy is why Section 70 is inserted into the constitution, when they say ayes or nays, you can’t hold your signatures responsible for saying I wasn’t one of them,’’ Oshiomhole said.
“I want Nigerians to say who are those senators who are trying to narrow future leadership to themselves as if it’s a family or traditional rulership?
“Let me say why this thing has a serious moral crisis. The Senate President became Minority Leader in his first term when he got into the office in the 8th Senate; he became a principal officer. He’s now the one presiding and asking us to change those rules such that even somebody who has done one term can’t become principal officers.
“Number two, as we speak today, the Senate President has not done eight years in office, even if you count the previous one plus the current one it is not up to eight years.
“So if we pass the rules that you must do eight consecutive years before you can be Senate President, it means he has to lead by example by vacating because he is presiding without the appropriate qualification.
“But more offensive to me is that, as leaders who are products of bye-laws, we mustn’t make laws to perpetuate anyone.”
