THE Senate of Nigeria has amended its standing orders in a major shift to its internal rules, restricting eligibility for the office of Senate President to members of the 10th National Assembly.
News Point Nigeria reports that the decision followed a marathon closed-door session held on Tuesday, during which lawmakers agreed on fresh criteria designed to reinforce parliamentary hierarchy, ranking, and legislative experience within the upper chamber.
Under the revised rules, only senators who have served two terms will now be eligible to contest for principal offices in the Senate.
The amendment further provides that at least one of the two terms must be the immediate term preceding the nomination, a provision that significantly narrows the pool of potential contenders for top leadership positions in the chamber.
The amended Order 4 states: “Nomination of Senators to serve as Presiding Officers shall be in accordance with the ranking of Senators and shall be strictly adhered to.
“The order of ranking are (i) former President of the Senate, (ii) former Deputy President of the Senate, (iii) former Principal Officers of the Senate, (iv) Senators who had served at least one term of four years, (v) Senators who had been members of the House of Representatives, and (vi) in the absence of i to v, Senators elected into the Senate for the first time.”
By implication, only senators currently serving in the 10th Assembly who secure re-election into the 11th Senate will qualify to contest for the Senate presidency and other principal positions.
The Senate explained that the amendment is aimed at strengthening adherence to the long-established tradition of ranking within the legislative chamber, while ensuring that experienced lawmakers occupy key leadership offices.
