The Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, Rt. Hon. Eseme Eyiboh, has defended the recent amendment to the Senate Standing Rules, insisting that the move is aimed at strengthening institutional stability rather than protecting political interests.
Eyiboh, a former spokesperson of the House of Representatives, said public debate surrounding the amendment had been wrongly focused on personalities instead of the long-term development of the Senate as an institution.

According to him, the amendment requiring senators seeking key presiding and principal offices to possess a minimum level of legislative experience should be viewed as part of efforts to deepen parliamentary stability and continuity.

“The office of Senate President is one of the most sensitive and technically demanding constitutional offices in Nigeria. Experience matters,” he stated.

Eyiboh argued that legislatures across the world periodically review their procedures and qualification standards in response to changing governance realities, adding that refusing to reform internal processes could amount to institutional stagnation.

He dismissed claims that the amendment was designed to reduce competition or shield specific individuals, saying the focus should be on whether the new rule serves the long-term interest of the Senate.

The Senate spokesman also rejected arguments suggesting that the amendment could invalidate the emergence of Akpabio as Senate President because the new qualification threshold did not exist when he assumed office.

“Laws are generally prospective, not retroactive,” Eyiboh said, stressing that Akpabio emerged under the rules in place at the time and could not be affected by a later amendment.

He warned that applying new rules to past actions would create instability in governance and undermine democratic institutions.

Eyiboh further maintained that while openness and inclusiveness remain important in democracy, leadership of sensitive legislative institutions requires procedural knowledge, institutional memory and parliamentary experience.

He added that Senator Adams Oshiomhole and other lawmakers were entitled to their opinions on the amendment, but urged that the debate should remain focused on institutional growth rather than political rivalry.

“Institutions outlive individuals. Senate Presidents will come and go, but the rules and traditions established today may shape legislative stability for decades,” he said.