Ahead of the 13th June inauguration of the 10th National Assembly, former members of the Federal Parliament from the South South geopolitical zone, have rejected the micro-zoning of the position of the President of the Senate to Godswill Akpabio.

The group tagged “Forum of Former National Assembly Members, South South Zone” said though the leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has zoned the position to their geopolitical zone, there is an urgent need to review the stance and throw the contest open to all senators-elect from the South South.

Quoting from the amended Senate Standing Orders, they said the issue of ranking should be ignored and every elected senator allowed to contest for the positions of two presiding officers of the 10th Senate.

Speaking on behalf of other 18 members, Halim Agoda said: “The Forum notes that it is the prerogative of Senators-elect of the National Assembly to choose their Presiding officers to wit: President of the Senate, Deputy President of the Senate, and other Principal Officers.

“The Forum further notes that unlike the House of Representatives where only ranking members can aspire to the Speakership and Deputy Speakership positions, ALL Senators-elect are qualified to contest for the offices of Senate President and Deputy Senate President.

“For the avoidance of doubt and purpose of clarity, the Senate rules, Order 3 sule(3) (a) state as follows: The election of the President of the Senate shall be conducted in the following manner: a) ASenator-elect, addressing the Clerk, shall propose another Senator-elect to the Senate to be President of the Senate and shall move that such Senator-elect “Do take the Chair of the Senate as President of the Senate.”

Another Senator-elect shall second the nomination. b) A Senator elect when nominated and seconded shall inform the Senate whether he or she accepts the nomination. He/She may then proceed to address the Senate,“We further note the provision of Section 14 (3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as Amended), which states:

“The composition of the Government of the Federation or any of {ts agencies and the conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the federal character of Nigeria and the need to promote national unity, and also to command national loyalty, thereby ensuring that there shall be no predominance of persons from a few states or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups in that Government or any of its agencies”.

“In compliance with this Constitutional position, the country’s ethno-religious, cultural, and regional diversity and balance must be considered.

“In this context, the existing arrangement, whereby the office of the President of the Senate, the Deputy Senate President, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives are rotated between Northern and Southern Nigeria, be strictly adhered to.

“We strongly commend, appreciate and applaud the leadership for zoning the Office of the Senate President to the South-South and urge that this zoning be sustained.

“The Forum notes that the leadership of the Party recently clarified that her earlier zoning of respective offices to geo-political zones and individuals will be reviewed subject to a wider consultation.

“This clarification has brought relief and succour to the people of the South-South Zone as it has opened the democratic space for the APC senators-elects from the Zone (seven number) who may wish to exercise their rights to contest for the Office of the Senate President, to do so without encumbrances.

“As former members of the National Assembly, we believe and demand that all persons elected as Principal Officers of the 10th National Assembly should be above board and people of integrity and without blemish.”

https://sunnewsonline.com/10th-nass-former-south-south-national-assembly-members-reject-micro-zoning/


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