By Nathaniel Zacchaeus, Abuja
Senators who were not happy with the amendment to the Senate Standing Order last week have demanded the extension of ranking rules to holders of principal officers.
The Senate after a closed session amended part of its rules which barred first-time senators from contesting the position of either the Senate President or the Deputy Senate President.
The amendment which was contained in a motion by the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, stipulates that any senator who is contesting for the position of the Senate President and Deputy Senate President must have spent a minimum of one term in the Senate.
He said the motion on amendment of the Senate standing order had earlier been circulated to the Senators by the existing Order 109 Rule 2 of the Senate standing orders.
However, some senators who bared their minds in separate interviews with ThisNigeria, alleged that they were ambushed.
Some of them vowed to fight back except the Akpabio-led leadership extended the ranking rule to other leadership positions.
A Senator from the North Central geopolitical zone said, “Why should Akpabio restrict the amendments to the presiding officers alone? We will continue to fight until the ranking rule is extended to the eight other leadership positions.
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“As it is, we will move for further amendments to extend the ranking rule to the Senate Leader, Deputy Senate Leader, Chief Whip, and Deputy Whip. The same thing will be reflected in the four other leadership positions in the Minority Caucus,” he added.
A senator from the North West geopolitical zone, who craved anonymity, said, “If the President and Deputy Senate President were not meant for the first-time senators, in the same vein, all the principal officers’ positions should also be exclusively kept for senators who have stayed in the Senate, more than one term.
“There is no way that a one-sided law targeted at some individuals will be allowed to stand. The new law should be wholesome and not one-sided or seen to stop some few vibrant senators from aspiring.
“If the new senators can’t be Senate President and Deputy Senate President, in the same vein, new senators shouldn’t occupy sensitive principal officers’ positions.
“It is an aberration that should not be condoned in ramifications,” the Senator added.
Calls put across to the Chairman Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Adeyemi Adaramodu, yesterday did not connect.
A text message sent to his mobile phone had also not replied as of the time of filing this report.
