28th July, 2015
Ayorinde Oluokun/Abuja
The upper chamber of the Nigerian National Assembly, the Senate resumed on Tuesday amidst tight security and surprised announcement of former Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State as the minority leader.
Senator Bukola Saraki, the President of the Senate made the announcement immediately the plenary of the senate resumed this morning.
Saraki told the senators that the candidature of the former governor, a first time senator was endorsed by the caucuses of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in the senate across the six geo-political zones.
The PDP which lost the control of the National Assembly to the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC had earlier zoned the position of the minority leader to South south zone
However, the Akpabio’s nomination is against the standing rules of the senate, which exempts first-term senators from holding principal positions.
Senator Kabir Marafa, a member of the Unity Forum of APC had called attention of the Senate President to the fact that as a first time senator, Akpabio was not qualified to occupy the position of the Senate minority leader, going by the Standing Orders of the Senate.
Marafa had cited Order 13(2) of the 2015 Senate Standing Rules and argued that a ranking senator was supposed to have occupied the position given to Akpabio.
But he was opposed by Ike Ekweremadu, the Deputy Senate President.
Ekweremadu argued that it is the business of PDP to determine who is appointed as the minority leader.
The Deputy Senate President also said the rule only stipulates that ranking senators should be considered first before other non-ranking senators and that if a ranking senator cannot take the position for any reason, then the next level of ranking senators can be considered,” he said.
Saraki also ruled Marafa out of order, saying the PDP senators were not complaining and as such, urged Marafa to “stop crying more than the bereaved”.
He was however overruled by the Senate President who said the Constitution of Nigeria allows any senator to hold any position. It will be recalled that two members of PDP, had filed an ex parte application challenging the party’s choice of Akpabio as senate minority leader.
According to them, the possible emergence of Akpabio as senate minority leader would breach the senate standing orders which bar first-term senators from holding such a position.
The court however threw out their application.
Also, Emmanuel Bwacha (Taraba South) was named as the Deputy minority leader while Phillip Aduda representing the FCT is minority whip. Senator Biodun Olujimi (PDP Ekiti South) also emerged deputy minority whip.