The Senate altered its standing orders to prohibit first-term Senators from running for Senate President or Deputy Senate President.
During Tuesday’s legislative session, the Senate changed its order.
The Senate Standing Orders Rule 3(2) (1-3) was amended in response to a resolution presented by Senate Leader Senator Opeyemi Bamidele.
With the recent modification to the Senate’s standing orders, first-term senators are no longer qualified or eligible to run for the job of presiding officer of the upper house.
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.
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.
The Senate also amended its rules and created an additional nine Standing Committees. The Senate presently has 74 Standing Committees.