After some opposition from lawmakers and procedural concerns forced an abrupt halt to deliberations, a move to amend the Senate standing orders, which are widely regarded as a strategic move to ease the next Assembly’s need for appointing new presiding officers, was halted on Tuesday.
The amendment proposal, which was supported by Opeyemi Bamidele, the head of the Senate, sparked sighs from all over the chamber as it was introduced.
Lola Ashiru argued that updating the Senate Standing Orders to accommodate new committees and enhance legislative practice was necessary in response to changing national realities, new commissions, and changing governance needs.
Among the three proposals that sparked immediate controversy are three.
1. As permitted by the seventh schedule of the constitution, allowing the electorates to cast ballots to choose the president and the Deputy President of the Senate. The amendment would make it possible for incoming lawmakers to choose the Senate’s President and Deputy Senate President before swearing in.
2. Required prior Senate experience for presiding officers. Senators with at least one four-year term would be the only ones who could compete for the top positions.
3. stricter ranking standards. Former presiding officers and long-serving lawmakers were placed at the top of the new hierarchy, while first-term senators were only able to contest without the help of a ranking member.
Senator Danjuma Goje, a former governor of Gombe State, was the first to object. He said, “I recommend that we completely eliminate the numbers 1, 2, and 3 because he specifically targeted the points of contention in the proposal.”
However, the Minority Leader, Abba Moro, referred to order 109 of the Senate rule book as a final order item and reaffirmed that any amendment must be officially submitted, printed, distributed, and listed on the Order Paper prior to discussion.
Have we adhered to this rule, asks him, “Sir, have we done so?” Otherwise, we should grumble a little and adhere to the law.
As senators exchanged gestures and murmurs, the room became agitated. In response to questions about the ranking clause, Senate President Akpabio expressed concern that it might unfairly influence leadership outcomes.
If a newly elected candidate is the party’s candidate, the number four means no one will be elected president. You automatically become Senate President, according to Akpabio, who is the fourth-place senator.
Therefore, Akpabio supported Moro’s request for comment.
He said, “What we are engaging in is an exercise in futility if we have not followed this process.”
Source: Channels TV
Leave a Reply