The Senate on Tuesday amended its standing rules to prevent first-time senators from contesting for the office of the President of the Senate and that of the Deputy President of the Senate.

The amendment followed a motion by the Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, for the amendment of the Senate standing rules and to accommodate new standing committees. It was seconded by the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Simon Mwadkwon. The amendment was voted for overwhelmingly by all the senators across all political affiliations.

With this amendment to the standing orders of the Senate, first-term senators are now excluded from those qualified or eligible to contest for the position of presiding officers of the Red Chambers.

The amendment of rule 3(2) (1-3) of the Senate Standing Orders followed a motion moved by the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (APC – Ekiti Central).

The motion was titled: “Amendment of the Standing Orders of the Senate pursuant to Order 109 of the Senate Standing Orders, 2022 (As Amended).”

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.

Senate Receives Request for Confirmation of Three New Ministerial Nominees

President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday sent the names of three new ministerial nominees to the Senate for confirmation. The three nominees are Dr. Jamila Bio Ibrahim, Minister of Youth; Ayomide Olawande, Minister of State for Youth; and Balarabe Abbas Musa, Minister for Environment.

Balarabe Abbas Musa replaces former Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna who declined his nomination after being screened by the Senate.

President Tinubu had on September 17 announced the nomination of both Jamila Bio Ibrahim and Ayodele Olawande, pending their confirmation by the Senate in line with the provisions of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

But on Tuesday, a letter requesting the confirmation of the nominees was read during plenary by the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio.