Senate Amends Standing Rules For Electing Senate President, Deputy

The Nigerian Senate has amended its standing rules with provisions that to be eligible to contest the office of the President of the Senate or deputy, a senator must have served a term in the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The new standing rules were passed at the plenary session on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the new amendment is said to violate the 1999 Nigerian Constitution as amended from Section 47 to 52, particularly Section 50(1)(a) which states: “There shall be a President and a Deputy President of the Senate, who shall be elected by the members of the house from among themselves.

Godwill Akpabio, a former governor of Akwa Ibom State, was elected as the Senate President of the 10th Assembly in June 2023.

He was the preferred candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress.

Akpabio secured 63 votes to defeat a former Governor of Zamfara State, Abdulazeez Yariwith who had 46 votes.