The chairmanship of the 57 Standing
Committees of the Senate may likely be shared
equally among the ruling All Progressives
Congress members and their counterparts in the
opposition Peoples Democratic Party in
September.
However, the Senate President, Bukola Saraki,
will announce the list.
This is contrary to the recent assurance by the
Senate spokesperson, Dino Melaye, during an
interview with our correspondent in Abuja, when
he said that APC senators would chair most of
the committees.
But investigations by our correspondent on
Monday revealed that the current face-off
between the Presidency and the leadership of
the Senate over the appointment of principal
officers would make some perceived loyalists of
some party chiefs lose out of the power game in
the red chamber.
Already, Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, had
confirmed in an interview with our correspondent
that the standing committees, according to
tradition, would be announced next month when
members resume from their current long annual
recess.
Traditionally, the Senate President and his
deputy are automatic members of the Selection
Committee, but some senators, who spoke with
our correspondent on condition of anonymity on
Monday, said the Deputy Senate President, Ike
Ekweremadu, might take full charge of the
assignment.
At the moment, the Senate President had
constituted four special committees, adhering
strictly to the rule on geopolitical spread, with
both the APC and the PDP senators sharing the
chairmanship on equal basis.
The committees are Senate Services, headed by
Ibrahim Gobir (APC, Sokoto East); Rules and
Business, which has Babajide Omoworare (APC,
Osun Central ) as chairman; Ethics and
Privileges, chaired by Samuel Anyanwu ( PDP,
Imo East ); and Public Accounts Committee, with
Andy Uba (PDP, Anambra South) as chairman.
Saraki had also asked senators who might wish
to serve in the Senate Standing Committees to
pick forms from the Clerk to the Senate, and
indicated five committees where they wish to
serve as soon as possible.
A senator from the South-West geopolitical zone
pointed out that the current plan by the
leadership of the 8th Senate to adopt the
provisions of the controversial amendments
made to the Senate Rules in the allocation of
committee chairmanship to senators was a grand
design to favour the opposition.
He said the amendment was a drastic departure
from the Senate tradition, regarding the
allocation of more committee chairmanship to
members of the majority party.
He noted that some APC senators might lose out
in the process, and end up sharing the positions
equally with the PDP members.
He said, “The controversial amendments made
to the Senate Rules 2015 had made it mandatory
for the leadership of the upper chamber to share
headship of the committees equally among the
six geopolitical zones.
“Specifically, Order 3 (4) of the Senate Standing
Orders 2015, as amended, states that, ‘The
appointment of senators as chairmen and
members of committees shall be carried out in
such a manner as to reflect the six geopolitical
zones of the country and there shall be no
predominance of senators from a few geo-
political zones.”

www.punchng.com/news/apc-pdp-senators-may-share-committees-chairmanship/

whatever

ina ruwa na