What we changed in our rules was procedural – Senator Adegbomire

By Henry Umoru

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Adeniyi Adegbomire SAN, has said that what the Senate changed in its standing orders was procedural.

In a statement Thursday after an interview with Senator Adegbomire, Jackson Udom, Special Assistant to the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, he said, “Contrary to reports in some sections of the media, purporting that the recent adjustments in the Senate Rules as passed on Tuesday have been upturned on the order of the Presidency, the Senate has described the said media report, as untrue and a deliberate attempt to mislead the public.

“One of the Orders that was considered was about whether you should take your oath of alliance and membership before elections. The proposal that was passed, among others, on Tuesday was that you be sworn in before you can vote. It was just procedural change.

“In the past, you don’t have to be sworn in before you vote for the Senate President and Deputy Senate President and now they said be sworn in first, before election. Members were of the opinion that the constitution says ‘You May’, so that there won’t be any controversy thereafter, we decided to revert to the old order.

“The issue of eligibility stays and it is different from what we rescinded. We rescinded the order of oath-taking and eligibility to contest election. This is for clarity.”

“The revert to the old procedure was contained in the Senate Order Paper of Thursday, captioned: Recession and Recommital of Order 2(2) and Order 3(1) argued that the change in procedure of the Senate may give rise to constitutional inconsistencies and unintended tensions with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended,particularly Section 52 thereof.

“The Senate, it was gathered, noted that it is necessary to ensure that the Standing Orders of the Senate remain fully consistent with constitutional provisions established parliamentary conventions and Legislative Practice.”

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