The Senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, has demanded the resignation of Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

This comes amid tension over the recent amendment of the Senate Standing Orders governing the election of presiding and principal officers in the upper chamber.

Oshiomhole, speaking to reports in Abuja, described the amended rules as being rooted in what he called a “moral crisis”.

He claimed that Akpabio, under the new framework being debated, no longer meets the moral and procedural threshold to continue presiding over the chamber.

Oshiomhole said, “This rule has serious moral crisis.

“The senate president became minority leader on his first term. He is now the one presiding and asking us to change those rules even those who have done one term can’t even contest.

“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.

“So if we pass the rule that we must do eight consecutive years before you can become senate president, it means he has to leave by example by vacating because he is presiding without acquiring necessary qualifications.”

The Nigerian Senate has withdrawn its amendment to the Senate Standing Orders.

The reversal followed a motion sponsored by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele and adopted under the supervision of Deputy Senate President Jubril Barau.

Under the previous rules, only senators who had served two terms were eligible to contest for principal offices, and one of the two terms had to be the immediate term preceding the nomination, effectively narrowing the field of contenders.