Impeachment Plot: Senate Amends Rules To Ward Off Threats Against Akpabio

The Senate yesterday stopped first timers from vying for the positions of president and deputy Senate president, ending the ambition of the former governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari, and others.

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 effected 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.

Other amendments made in the standing are for reflection of functions and jurisdictions of new standing committees created in August.

The Senate had on the 7th of August this year increased its standing committees from 63 to 74.

However, none of the committee is yet to be inaugurated in line with laid-down procedures and practices.