Senate approves simple majority for electing its presiding officers

The senate has amended its standing rules of 2015 and approved the simple majority option for the election of its presiding officers.

The upper legislative chamber approved the amendment after Suleiman Umar, chairman of the senate committee on rules and business, sponsored a motion on Tuesday.

The motion was pursuant to order 111 of the senate standing rule.

The rules and business committee had proposed a two-third majority in its report presented to Umar.

“Aware that the development necessitated and has made it imperative to amend the standing orders of the senate 2015 (as amended) occasioned by the slit and addition of senate standing committees by the eight senate and do not have their functions and jurisdictions reflect in the standing order of the senate,” he said.

“Further aware that there also exist some areas in the senate standing orders that require amendment to ensure reflection of present realities, smooth running of the senate and international best parliamentary practice.

“That in the face of the senate standing order, there exists no provision for order 4 to 8 and numbering error in order 95;

“Aware that the amendments have been circulated to senators in accordance with order 111 rule two of the senate standing order.”

While some senators supported the committee’s proposal, others kicked against it.

Speaking on the committee’s report, Rochas Okorocha, senator representing Imo west, said the two-third majority should have a spread across all the geo-political zones of the country.

The red chamber retained the closed ballot system of voting for the election of the president of the senate and deputy.

It also amended order 96 to provide for senators to be members of not more than seven committees at a time.

The senate moved the defunct Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), now the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, to be under the jurisdiction of the petroleum upstream committee.

After the amendments were approved, Senate President Ahmad Lawan commended the work of the rules and business committee.

“As far as I know, this is the first time that the senate will amend its standing rules in plenary, and a huge sort of exercise to introduce and sustain efficiency in the operations of the senate,” Lawan said.