‘Selfish interest’: Ningi blasts Oshiomhole, Akpabio

Lawmaker representing Bauchi Central Senatorial District, Abdul Ahmed Ningi, has weighed into the growing controversy surrounding the amendment of the Senate Standing Rules. He described the ongoing dispute among lawmakers as “self-serving” and driven largely by personal ambitions for leadership positions. Ningi, who currently chairs the Senate Committee on Sports, said both supporters and opponents […]

Lawmaker representing Bauchi Central Senatorial District, Abdul Ahmed Ningi, has weighed into the growing controversy surrounding the amendment of the Senate Standing Rules.

He described the ongoing dispute among lawmakers as “self-serving” and driven largely by personal ambitions for leadership positions.

Ningi, who currently chairs the Senate Committee on Sports, said both supporters and opponents of the controversial amendment were acting out of personal interests rather than concern for national development or the integrity of the upper legislative chamber.

Speaking amid tensions triggered by the new eligibility conditions for Senate leadership offices, the senator who just left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) accused lawmakers of remaining silent over contentious national issues in the past but suddenly becoming vocal because their personal political ambitions could now be affected.

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“This is self-serving and self-centred from those who proposed and opposed it,” Ningi said.

“You are living witnesses when we stood up on this floor to raise our concern about the Electoral Act before the Senate after working with the committee on electoral matters for almost two years about some provisions. But in the name of party supremacy, people kept quiet.

“Now because some people feel they have ambition going forward, they believe they will be touched. This particular matter is not about Nigeria but about the Senate, the institution and those who want to aspire for leadership.”

The senator also revisited developments at the inauguration of the 10th Senate in 2023, alleging that the traditional ranking principle guiding appointments into principal offices and major committees was ignored.

According to him, several first-time senators were handed influential leadership positions and strategic committee chairmanships despite lacking parliamentary experience.

“In 2023 when we came, this particular ranking was thrown under the bus.

“A senator coming to the Senate for the first time, within the first week, became a principal officer and some of the biggest committees were given to first-time senators”, he noted.

Questioning the performance of some committee chairmen, Ningi claimed that several Senate committees had remained inactive since inauguration except during budget consideration sessions.

“At the end of the day after three and half years, what have those senators performed as chairmen of committees?

“Some could not even call meetings and some when they did, could not even preside. Journalists should investigate. There are committees whose chairmen have not called meetings since inception, not even one, except when it is budget.”

The lawmaker argued that the current controversy over the amendment of Senate rules reflected a broader pattern of tailoring laws and parliamentary decisions to favour specific interests within the political class.

“So the entire scenario is being personalised and until we are ready to cure this malice, because a lot of laws were passed tailored to the advantage of a particular group, party and individual, that is the truth,” he stated.

The controversy followed a heated confrontation earlier this week between Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Senator Adams Oshiomhole during plenary over the amendment to the Senate Standing Orders.

The revised rules now stipulate that only senators who have completed at least two consecutive terms are eligible to contest for the offices of Senate President, Deputy Senate President and other principal offices in the chamber.

The amendment, adopted after a closed-door session lasting nearly three hours, has generated sharp division within the Red Chamber.

Critics alleged that it was specifically designed to shut out some ambitious first-term lawmakers from future leadership contests.

The clash was reportedly fuelled by insinuations within political circles that both Akpabio and Oshiomhole may be positioning themselves ahead of a future contest for the Senate presidency.