Senate Bars First-Term Senators From Running For Senate President, Deputy
The Senate on Tuesday, October 3, amended its standing orders to effectively stop first-term senators from vying for the position of Senate president and deputy Senate president.
This action by the Senate is likely in response to the leadership tussle before the swearing-in of lawmakers in the 10th Senate a few months ago when Senator Abdulaziz Yari, a first-term Senator contested against Senator Godswill Akpabio for the position of Senate President.
With the new amendment to the standing orders of the Senate, first-term senators are now excluded from those qualified or eligible to contest for the position of presiding officers of the Red Chambers.
The amendment of rule 3(2) (1-3) of the Senate Standing Orders followed a motion moved by the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (APC – Ekiti Central).
The motion was titled: “Amendment of the Standing Orders of the Senate pursuant to Order 109 of the Senate Standing Orders, 2022 (As Amended).”
Rule 3 of the Senate Standing Orders as amended now stipulates that any senator wishing to contest for the position of the Senate President and Deputy Senate President must have spent a minimum of one term in the senate.
The Senate also amended its rules and created an additional nine Standing Committees. The Senate presently has 74 Standing Committees.
