The Senate on Tuesday amended its standing orders to stop first-term senators from vying for the position of Senate president and deputy Senate president.
This move by the Senate came a 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.
With the new amendment to the standing orders of the Senate, only ranking senators can contest for the positions. First-term senators are excluded from contesting for the position of presiding officers of the Upper Chamber
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 to create nine new Standing Committees.
The Senate presently has 74 Standing Committees.
