Members of the 10th National Assembly last week elected their Presiding Officers in the Red Chamber. This was thereafter followed with one plenary session on 14th June, 2023 before the lawmakers proceeded on break.
Here are five things you might have missed from the Red Chamber last week:
1. The lawmaker representing Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District, Godswill Obot Akpabio, emerged as the President of the Ninth Senate, polling a total of 63 votes to defeat Senator Abdul’aziz Abubakar Yari (APC, Zamfara West), who garnered 46 votes in the election for Presiding Officers of the Ninth Senate at the Red Chamber of the National Assembly.
Voting commenced at 08:45 am and ended at about 9:15 am, with Senators being called out according to their state in alphabetical order casting their ballots in an open-secret ballot format.
The former Akwa Ibom Governor, Akpabio, was nominated by Senator Ali Ndume (APC, Borno South), who presented a comprehensive biography. whilst Senator Ishaku Abbo (APC, Adamawa North) nominated Yari.
2. The lawmaker representing Kano North Senatorial District, Jibrin Barau, also emerged as Deputy Senate President of the 10th National Assembly.
Senator Dave Umahi nominated Barau, the former Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation in the Ninth National Assembly, as Deputy Senate President and read his citation, after which the nominee accepted the nomination.
Senator Barau thereafter emerged unopposed as Deputy Senate President in the 10th National Assembly at the close of nominations by the Clerk to the National Assembly, Sani Tambuwal.
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3. Following the inauguration of the Tenth National Assembly and the election of its Presiding Officers, Senators converged last Wednesday to commence legislative business; beginning with a two-hour executive session to deliberate on matters bordering on the workings of the National Assembly.
At the commencement of their first plenary, the Chamber adopted a motion as recommended by Senator Barau I. Jibrin (APC, Kano North) – Deputy President of the Senate that the Chamber sends a message to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu informing him that a quorum of the Senate has assembled and that the Presiding Officers of the 10th Senate, National Assembly have been elected.
Senator Barau’s motion that the Senate sends a congratulatory message to the Honourable Speaker and the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives on their election and that the Senate had elected its Presiding Officers was also adopted as recommended.
4. The Red Chamber also adopted as recommended a motion that the Senate sends a message to the International Parliamentary Bodies informing them that a quorum of the Senate of the 10th National Assembly has assembled and is ready to receive any communication.
The bodies include the African Union (AU), the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the ECOWAS Parliament, Pan African Parliament and the Association of Senate, Shoora and Equivalent Council in Africa and the Arab World (ASSECAA).
READ ALSO: “What I told Akpabio on Inauguration day” – Senator Yari reveals
5. A 15-member Welfare Committee chaired by Senator Isah Jibrin (APC, Kogi East) was also set up by the lawmakers to make necessary arrangements ahead of the next legislative day.
The Senate thereafter adjourned the Plenary to Tuesday, 4th July 2023, to enable the management and its welfare committee to set up and assume their responsibilities, as well as observe the Eid-el-Kabir holiday.
