Senate amends rules, blocks first-time senators from contesting leadership positions

The senate has amended its standing rule to prevent first-time senators from contesting the top-most positions in the red chamber.

At the plenary on Tuesday, the upper legislative chamber adjusted its standing rules after Opeyemi Bamidele, majority leader, sponsored a motion.

The motion, seconded by Simon Mwadkwon, deputy senate majority leader, received the support of all the senators when Senate President Godswill Akpabio put it to a voice vote.

Akpabio defeated Abdulaziz Yari, a former governor of Zamfara state, to become the senate president of the 10th national assembly.

Yari, though a former member of the house of representatives, sought the number three position as a first-timer.

The senate also amended its rules to create nine additional standing committees.

The upper legislative chamber created the committee on atomic and nuclear energy which would oversee the Nigeria Nuclear Energy Regulatory Commission and Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission.

The senate also split the committee on federal capital territory (FCT) into two, panels on FCT and FCT area councils.

The sports committee was also broken into sports development and youth and community engagements.

According to the motion, “the committee on Solid mineral 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 the 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.”