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The Senate on Tuesday amended its standing orders to effectively stop first term Senators from vying for the position of Senate President and Deputy Senate President.

This move by the Senate came few months after Senator Abdulaziz Yari, a first term Senator, who had earlier served in the House of Representatives contested against Senator Godswill Akpabio for the position of Senate President.

The moves also followed recent rumours of alleged plot to impeach Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

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 the rule 3(2) (1-3) of the Senate Standing Orders followed a motion moved by the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (APC – Ekiti Central).

Rule 3 subsection  1 – 3 of the Senate Standing Orders reads: “A Senator-elect may, before taking the Oaths prescribed in the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, take part in the election of the President and Deputy President of the Senate.

“Nomination of Senators to serve as Presiding Officers and appointments of Principal Officers and other Officers of the Senate on any Parliamentary delegations shall be in accordance with the ranking of Senators.

“In determining ranking, the following order shall apply: Senators returning based on number of times re-elected;

“Senators who had been members of the House of Representatives.”

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 additional nine Standing Committees.

The Senate now has 83 Standing Committees following the addition of nine committees to the existing 74 committees.

Bamidele in his lead debate  said: “The  Senate: Recalls that the Senate Standing Rule was amended on Saturday 5th August 2023 to create new Committees and other sundry amendments.

“Aware that there are number of issues that require further amendments to provide for the creation of additional Committees of the Senate in response to emerging developments that will enhance rules of procedure for a sound legislative practice;

“Aware that these developments have made it imperative to further amend the Standing Orders of the Senate 2022 (as amended) occasioned by the creation of additional Senate Standing Committees and to have the functions and jurisdictions reflected in the Standing Orders of the Senate;

“Further aware that the amendments have been circulated to Senators in accordance with Order 109 Rule 2 of the Senate Standing Orders.”

Bamidele in his prayers urged the Senate to consider and approve, as it deems fit, the proposed amendment;

“Enter into the Committee of the Whole to consider the proposed Amendment;

“Approve the proposed amendment as contained therein;

“Amend Rule 3 subsection 2 of the Senate Standing Orders which proposed that only senators that have spent at least one term in Senate that can contest for the position of presiding officers of the Senate.

“Direct the Rules and Business Committee to reprint the Senate Standing Orders with the new amendments.”

As contained in the amendment, the Senate created the Committee on Atomic and Nuclear Energy, which would oversee the Nigeria Nuclear Energy Regulatory Commission, Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission and their annual budget estimates.

The Senate also splitted the Committee on Federal Capital Territory (FCT) into two,  namely: Committee on FCT and Committee on FCT Area Councils.

The Senate resolved that the Committee on FCT would oversee matters affecting the FCT, planning and development of the new Federal Capital Territory and control of development within the FCT and its annual budget.

The upper chamber further resolved that the Committee on FCT Area Councils would oversee Area Council Mandate, Area Council Service Commission, Area Council Staff Pension Board, Auditor-General for the Area Council and other agency or department under FCT.

The Senate similarly divided the Committee on Sports into two standing committees, namely: Committee on Sports Development and Committee on Youth and Community Engagements.

According to the Senate, the jurisdiction of the Committee on Sports Development shall include Federal Ministry of Sport Development, National Lottery Commission, National Institute for Sports, Nigeria Football Federation, Sport Arena Development, national and international sporting activities, sports administration and annual budget estimates.

The Senate further said the jurisdiction of the Committee on Youth and Community engagements would include Federal Ministry of Youth Development, National Youth Service Corps, Citizens and Leadership Training Centre, Offices of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement in the six geo-political zones, youths movement activities and associations and its annual budget estimates.

The Senate also divided the Committee on Solid Minerals, Steel Development and Metallurgy into two: namely: Committee on Solid Minerals Development and the Committee on Mines and Steel Development.

The Senate said the Committee on Solid Minerals Development “shall oversee Federal Ministry of Solid Mineral Development, Nigerian Geological Survey Agency, Mining Cadastre Office and Council of Nigerian Mining Engineers and Geoscientist, Nigerian Metallurgical Training Institute, Solid Minerals Development Fund, Nigeria Institute of Mining and Geoscience, National Metallurgical Development Centre, exploration of minerals extraction and quarry, geological survey and minerals investigation as well as explosives.

“The Committee on Mines and Steel Development shall oversee Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, Aluminum Smelting Company of Nigeria, Ajaokuta Steel Development Company, National Iron Ore Mining Company, National Steel Raw Material Exploration Agency and their budgets.”