Presiding Officers: Stakeholders Urge Senate To Adopt Open Ballot

A leading advocacy group, Citizens Network for Peace and Development in Nigeria (CNPDN), has called on the Senate to adopt the open balloting system in electing its two presiding officers – President of the Senate and the Deputy President of the Senate, respectively.

North-East coordinator of the civil society organisation, Adamu Ibrahim, in a statement made available to journalists, called on the Nigerian Senate to take a cue from the House of Representatives and other Parliaments across the globe who adopted the open balloting system in electing their presiding officers.

The Forum commended the Senate for making the recent amendments to its Standinng Rules in properly defining ‘ranking’ in electing its presiding officers.

The statement read: “The amendment of Senate Rules to stop first-time Senators from contesting as Presiding Officers is a welcome development that should be applauded by all Nigerians.

“The decision of the 10th Senate is in line with the best Legislative global practice where Leaders of Assemblies are mentored by their Assemblies.

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“As a group, we are not unaware of the American Model of Democracy we copy as a country, which has been very consistent in making Legislative experience a priority over any other vested interest.

“The immediate-past House Speaker, Kevin Owen McCarthy who has been in the House since 2007, leveraged his experience as a member, Deputy Chief Whip and House Leader to become the 55th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives.

“The section as amended now states that in determining the ranking. Citizens Network for Peace and Development therefore lauds the 10th Assembly under the exemplary leadership of Distinguished Senator Godswill Akpabio for putting the interest of the country over any other interest that may jeopardize our democracy.

“In the same vein, we’re calling on the Nigerian Senate to revisit the mode of electing the Presiding Officers. Section 3 subsection (i) states that “voting by secret ballot shall be conducted by the clerk-qt table using the list of Senators-elect of the Senate, who shall each be given a ballot paper to cast his/her vote.”

“We therefore draw the attention of the Senate to note that both developed and developing Countries operate open balloon system and Nigeria should not be an exception in entrenching democracy, a system we proudly laboured for.

“We therefore call on the Senate to amend this section making it a rule for the Senate to elect their Presiding Officers only through open ballot system.

“We once again collectively commend the Leadership and Members of the 10th Senate for their foresight encouraging them to maintain the tempo.”