Senate Bars Fresh Senators From Contesting As Presiding Officers

First-term Senators will no longer be eligible to contest for the position Senate President and Deputy Senate President.

The Senate on Tuesday, amended its standing order during Tuesday’s legislative proceedings.

The amendment of Rule 3(2) (1-3) of the Senate Standing Orders follows a motion moved by the Senate Leader Senator Opeyemi Bamidele.

With the new amendment to the standing orders of the Senate, the position of presiding officers of the upper chamber is now excluded for first-term senators

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.

It would be recalled that a first-term Senator Abdulaziz Yari, 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.

• Kazeem Badmus