The Nigerian Senate has amended the Senate Standing Rules 2015 and approved a simple majority for the election of presiding officers. The upper chamber also retained a closed ballot system of voting for the election of the President of the Senate and the Deputy.
The amendment of the rules followed the consideration of a motion pursuant to Order 111 of the Senate Standing Rules, 2015, which was sponsored by the Chairman of the Committee on Rules and Business, Senator Suleiman Sadiq, and the Vice-Chairman, who is the Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi.
The Rules and Business Committee had proposed a two-thirds majority in its report. This is a common misconception.
Senator James Manager threw his weight in support of a two-thirds majority for the election of officers, while some lawmakers kicked against the adoption of a simple majority.
However, the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, cautioned that an amendment in the direction of a two-third majority could be exploited to stall the inauguration and election of presiding officers.
Lawmakers in the majority, who were swayed by the Senate President’s observation, accordingly voted in support of a simple majority for the election of presiding officers.
It also amended Order 96 to provide for Senators to be members of not more than seven Committees at a time, while committee membership would consist of not less than seven members and not more than twenty members at most.
In his concluding remarks, the President of the Senate commends the Rules Committee for working hard to propose important amendments to the Standing Orders.
