The senate leadership yesterday amended its standing rules that make only ranking members to stand for elections and be voted into the office of president and deputy president of the senate.
The amendment was passed after senators who attended the day’s session adopted a motion entitled ‘Amendment of the Standing Orders of the Senate pursuant to Order 109 of the Senate Standing Orders, 2022 (As Amended)’ sponsored by the senate majority leader, Mr Opeyemi Bamidele.
Consequently, an amendment to section three of the Senate Standing Orders which stipulates that to vie for the position of president of the Senate or deputy president of the senate, a senator must have spent one term or four years as a senator.
Following the amendment, first-term senators are now barred from the list of those qualified/eligible to contest for the two topmost positions of presiding officers of the senate.
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.
The senate also amended its rules and created additional nine standing committees bringing the number of senate committees from 74 to 83.
