Nigeria: National Assembly Leadership - Senate Locks Out Fresh Members

Leadership

18 May 2011

Nigeria: National Assembly Leadership - Senate Locks Out Fresh Members

Abuja — A defiant Senate yesterday brushed aside scathing criticisms and went ahead to unanimously amend its standing rules that would effectively prevent new senators from aspiring to become presiding officers of the Senate.

This was even as the Senate president, David Mark, warned that the Senate can never chicken out because of some deliberate blackmail from outsiders, adding that "the new rule is not about David Mark".

Consequently, it is now an internal law that only ranking senators will henceforth occupy such high offices as presiding officer of the upper chamber and of appointments of principal officers of the Senate or any parliamentary delegations.

Also, the lifespan of the senate will now be in perpetuity, meaning that the legislative business of the Senate will continue irrespective of the end of any session. Accordingly, all business of the Senate including bills which remains undetermined at the close of session of the Senate, shall be resumed and proceeded with in the same manner as if no adjournment of the Senate had taken place.