The Senate has amended its standing orders to stop fresh Senators from vying for the position of Senate President and Deputy Senate President
Amendment of Rule 3(2) (1-3) of the Senate Standing Orders were done during Tuesday’s legislative proceedings; following a motion moved by the Senate leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele.
The new amendment excludes first-term senators from those eligible to contest for the position of presiding officers of the upper chamber.
Rule 3 of the Senate Standing Orders as amended now stipulates that any senator who wants to contest for the position of the Senate President and Deputy Senate President must have spent at least one term in the Senate.
This action by the Senate may not be unconnected with the leadership tussle that ensued before the swearing-in of lawmakers in the 10th Senate when a first-term Senator, Senator Abdulaziz Yari contested against
Senator Godswill Akpabio for the position of Senate President.
In addition to amending the Standing orders, the Senate also amended its rules and created an additional nine Standing Committees, making it 74 Standing Committees in all.
