The Senate, under the leadership of Godswill Akpabio has finally ended the ambition of former governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari and other first timers senators who are nursing to become the President and Deputy Senate President.
The move was taken at the Senate plenary on Tuesday during the amendment of the Standing Rules.
The amendment of the standing rules have blocked first term senators, including Yari who was Senate President Godswill Akpabio’s main challenger for the position, from any further contest for the two top seats in the 10th Senate.
Senator Yari (APC, Zamfara West), on account of being a member of the House of Representatives during the 6th National Assembly, used his ‘ranking’ status to contest against Senator Godswill Akpabio (APC, Akwa Ibom Northwest) for the position of Senate president which he lost.
While some lawmakers were still nursing an impeachment plot against Akpabio, which could pave the way for Yari, a majority of the lawmakers initiated the blockage against such contests in subsequent Senate by amending its rules, making first-timers in the Senate ineligible for the positions of president and deputy president, regardless of previous legislative experience in the House of Representatives, State House of Assembly or at the local government level.
Specifically, the amendment, which falls under Rule 3 sub section 2– 1, 2, 3 and 4, states: ”a senator vying for the office of President of the Senate or Deputy President of the Senate must have at least served in the Senate once.
By Adekunle Adegboyega
