The Senate has amended its standing rules restricting first-time Senators in the upper chamber from vying for the positions of President or Deputy President of the Senate.
The amendment specifies that a senator vying for the office of President of the Senate or Deputy President of the Senate, must have at least, served in the Senate once.
The amendment was carried out at plenary after the Leader of the Senate, Opeyemi Bamidele moved a motion for the amendment of standing rules to accommodate new standing committees.
The motion makes first-termers in the Senate ineligible for positions of President and Deputy President, regardless of previous legislative experience in the House of Representatives or State Houses of Assembly.
The amendment is coming few months after a fierce contest between the current Senate President Godwill Akpabio who served in the 8th Senate as minority leader and Senator Abdulaziz Yari ( APC Zamfara West ) contested for same position.
Senator Yari had contested for the position drawing his eligibility for the position having served as a member of House of Representatives in the 6th Assembly.
Other amendments made in the standing rules are for reflection of functions and jurisdictions of new standing committees created in August.
The Senate created the Committee on Atomic and Nuclear Energy, which would oversee the Nigeria Nuclear Energy Regulatory Commission, Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission and separated the Committee on Sports into two standing committees to now reflect the Committee on Sports Development as well as Committee on Youth and Community Engagements.
AIT