The Senate has defended its disciplinary procedures, insisting that its operations are guided strictly by standing rules that all members must obey.
Gatekeepers News reports that Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, made the clarification in Abuja on Thursday during a one-day capacity-building workshop for journalists covering the legislature.
Speaking against the backdrop of the controversy surrounding Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, Adaramodu stressed that the upper chamber operates under a defined framework and cannot function arbitrarily.
“The National Assembly is not a banana republic. We operate under rules that must be obeyed. It’s important that Nigerians are made to understand this, and you, the journalists covering the Senate, have a key role to play,” he said.
He urged journalists to help the public better understand parliamentary rules to prevent misconceptions about disciplinary actions taken during plenary.
Adaramodu pointed to Section 6(1) of the Senate Standing Rules, which empowers the Senate President to allocate or reallocate seats to lawmakers, noting that many disputes arise from poor knowledge—or disregard—of such provisions.
“If a senator is assigned seat number 10 and chooses to sit on seat number 13, that senator will not be recognised by the Senate President. If the person insists on being recognised, trouble will certainly ensue,” he explained.
He added that seat assignments are not permanent and may be adjusted at the discretion of the Senate President. Obedience to the rules, he said, is essential to preserving order, credibility, and institutional integrity within the National Assembly.
