The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), in the 8th Senate shall not enjoy any predominance over the opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
This is based on the provisions of the 8th Senate’s Standing Orders.
Investigation carried out by our correspondents revealed that the new Senate Standing Orders stipulates that 57 Committees shall be shared equally, and that is already causing ripples among some members of the ruling party, who by the composition of the 8th Senate, are in the majority in the Red Chamber.
A Senator who craved anonymity, said this is one of the major issues in the new Senate Standing Orders, “and we are working hard to ensure it does not subsist on the floor of the Senate.”
However, further investigation shows that this new Senate Orders runs contrary to what was obtainable in the David Mark-led 7th Senate where the ruling party enjoyed predominant advantage over other political parties.
While the 7th Senate’s Orders did not stipulate the distribution of chairmanship positions, the 8th Senate Standing Orders remove this prerogative entirely from the ruling party, the APC and makes it very clear how chairmanship positions must be shared.
According to the 8th Senate Orders, which is a subject of controversy, no geopolitical zones shall have predominance over others. It says in Chapter two, Orders 2(3) 2(iv), “The appointment of senators as chairmen and members of the committees shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the six geopolitical zones of the country and there shall be no predominance of the senators from a few geopolitical zones.”
The implication of this strange Order is that APC shall only enjoy chairmanship advantage in zones where it dominates. The ruling party dominates the Southwest, Northwest, Northcentral and a slim dominance in the Northeast.
It is also gathered that in the distribution of chairmanship positions in the 7th Senate, the Southsouth had absolute share of 14 seats as against Northcentral, Southeast and Northwest with ten each.
However, the Southwest came last with a lowly four chairmanship seats and the Northeast with seven.
If the 8th Senate Orders is anything to go by, then the absolute majority the PDP enjoyed over who heads which committee in the last Senate shall be history. It therefore means, the geopolitical zones that will enjoy the new advantage thrown up by the Order would be the Southsouth and the Southeast.
The likely distribution according to the Equal Share Principle, to reflect the Federal Character would see each state producing a chairman at least while each zone shall produce nine chairmanship positions each. Therefore, the Southsouth and Southeast, being the stronghold of the opposition, shall enjoy equal share of chairmanship seats.
It could be remembered that the new Senate Standing Orders has been a subject of controversy. Only recently, a petition was written and signed by Senator Suleman Othman Hunkuyi, Secretary of the Unity Forum to the Inspector General of Police, requesting for investigation into the controversial Orders.
The petition read: “We write to bring to your attention, the existence of the fraudulent introduction of a 2015 Senate Standing Rules, as amended. We wish to attach the original and authentic Standing Order for 2011 that was used by the 7th Senate, Annexure A.
We again annex herewith purported amended Standing Orders 2015, which was used by the Clerk to the National Assembly (along with the Clerk of the Senate) in inaugurating the 8th Senate on June 9, 2015, Annexure B.”
The petition further reads: “The so called new Standing Orders purports to allow for secret instead of the open ballot system that has been prevalent in all Senate elections as permitted by the extant rules.”
In the group’s opinion, it was an infraction considered fraudulent and so the group disapproved of its usage. The petition further went thus: “This infraction, among others arises from the fraudulent production of the Rules without an approved consideration by the 7th Senate. At no time was the Standing Orders of the Senate amended during the entire life of the 7th Senate neither has the 8th Senate sat for long enough to produce the rules now being circulated and in use.”
Appealing for the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators, the petition asked: “We therefore appeal that you use your good offices to investigate and bring to justice all persons who may have been responsible for this fraud which has led to the undue political crises and abnormalities in the politics.
This is based on the provisions of the 8th Senate’s Standing Orders.
Investigation carried out by our correspondents revealed that the new Senate Standing Orders stipulates that 57 Committees shall be shared equally, and that is already causing ripples among some members of the ruling party, who by the composition of the 8th Senate, are in the majority in the Red Chamber.
A Senator who craved anonymity, said this is one of the major issues in the new Senate Standing Orders, “and we are working hard to ensure it does not subsist on the floor of the Senate.”
However, further investigation shows that this new Senate Orders runs contrary to what was obtainable in the David Mark-led 7th Senate where the ruling party enjoyed predominant advantage over other political parties.
While the 7th Senate’s Orders did not stipulate the distribution of chairmanship positions, the 8th Senate Standing Orders remove this prerogative entirely from the ruling party, the APC and makes it very clear how chairmanship positions must be shared.
According to the 8th Senate Orders, which is a subject of controversy, no geopolitical zones shall have predominance over others. It says in Chapter two, Orders 2(3) 2(iv), “The appointment of senators as chairmen and members of the committees shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the six geopolitical zones of the country and there shall be no predominance of the senators from a few geopolitical zones.”
The implication of this strange Order is that APC shall only enjoy chairmanship advantage in zones where it dominates. The ruling party dominates the Southwest, Northwest, Northcentral and a slim dominance in the Northeast.
It is also gathered that in the distribution of chairmanship positions in the 7th Senate, the Southsouth had absolute share of 14 seats as against Northcentral, Southeast and Northwest with ten each.
However, the Southwest came last with a lowly four chairmanship seats and the Northeast with seven.
If the 8th Senate Orders is anything to go by, then the absolute majority the PDP enjoyed over who heads which committee in the last Senate shall be history. It therefore means, the geopolitical zones that will enjoy the new advantage thrown up by the Order would be the Southsouth and the Southeast.
The likely distribution according to the Equal Share Principle, to reflect the Federal Character would see each state producing a chairman at least while each zone shall produce nine chairmanship positions each. Therefore, the Southsouth and Southeast, being the stronghold of the opposition, shall enjoy equal share of chairmanship seats.
It could be remembered that the new Senate Standing Orders has been a subject of controversy. Only recently, a petition was written and signed by Senator Suleman Othman Hunkuyi, Secretary of the Unity Forum to the Inspector General of Police, requesting for investigation into the controversial Orders.
The petition read: “We write to bring to your attention, the existence of the fraudulent introduction of a 2015 Senate Standing Rules, as amended. We wish to attach the original and authentic Standing Order for 2011 that was used by the 7th Senate, Annexure A.
We again annex herewith purported amended Standing Orders 2015, which was used by the Clerk to the National Assembly (along with the Clerk of the Senate) in inaugurating the 8th Senate on June 9, 2015, Annexure B.”
The petition further reads: “The so called new Standing Orders purports to allow for secret instead of the open ballot system that has been prevalent in all Senate elections as permitted by the extant rules.”
In the group’s opinion, it was an infraction considered fraudulent and so the group disapproved of its usage. The petition further went thus: “This infraction, among others arises from the fraudulent production of the Rules without an approved consideration by the 7th Senate. At no time was the Standing Orders of the Senate amended during the entire life of the 7th Senate neither has the 8th Senate sat for long enough to produce the rules now being circulated and in use.”
Appealing for the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators, the petition asked: “We therefore appeal that you use your good offices to investigate and bring to justice all persons who may have been responsible for this fraud which has led to the undue political crises and abnormalities in the politics.
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