First-time senators have been barred from contesting for the positions of the Senate President and Deputy Senate President in Nigeria.
Gatekeepers News reports that the rule of Senate Standing Order 3 was amended following a motion sponsored by the Senate Majority Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele and adopted by voice vote.
Before the amendment, all the 109 senators, irrespective of ranking, were free to contest the Senate presiding officers’ positions.
Rule 3 of the Senate Standing Order had stated that nomination for presiding officers shall be in accordance with the ranking of senators.
It said, “In determining the ranking, the following Order shall apply: (i) senators returning based on the number of times re-elected; (ii) senators who had been members of the House of Representatives and (iii) Senators elected as senators for the first time.”
However, the new amendment stated that any senator vying for the positions of the Senate President and Deputy Senate President must have served at least one term in the Senate.
The lawmakers also amended its rules to accommodate the creation of an additional nine standing committees, raising the panels to 83.
The Senate Majority Leader, while presenting the motion on amendment of the Senate standing order, said that there were a number of rules that required amendment to give legislative support to more committees.
Bamidele said the amendment notice has been circulated to the senators in accordance with the existing Order 109 Rule 2 of the Senate standing orders.
Also at the plenary, the lawmakers in the red chambers carried out nine other amendments aimed at accommodating new standing committees.
The new panels are the Committee on Atomic and Nuclear Energy, the Committee on Federal Capital Territory Area Council and Auxiliary Matters, the Committee on Federal Capital Territory and the Committee on Sports Development.
Others are; the Committee on Youth and Community Engagement, Committee on Mines and Steel Development, Committee on Tourism and Committee on Culture and Creative Economy.
