The Nigerian Senate has amended its standing orders to prevent first-term Senators from running for the positions of Senate President and Deputy Senate President.
The amendment, which revised Rule 3(2) (1-3) of the Senate Standing Orders, came after a motion was proposed by Senate Leader Senator Opeyemi Bamidele. With this change, first-term Senators are now ineligible to contest for the top leadership positions in the upper chamber.
The amended Rule 3 now states that any Senator aspiring to become the Senate President or Deputy Senate President must have completed at least one term in the Senate.
This decision appears to be a response to the previous leadership dispute that arose just before the inauguration of lawmakers in the 10th Senate. During that time, Senator Abdulaziz Yari, a first-term Senator, challenged Senator Godswill Akpabio for the position of Senate President.
However, Akpabio secured 63 votes to defeat former governor of Zamfara State, Yari, who secured 46 votes.
Reacting to Akpabio’s win, Yari noted he had the number to defeat Akpabio in the election until some last-minute moves truncated his plans.
