Where are our senators? Senate adjourns plenary after only 20 members show up!

Barely spending ten minutes at the floor of the red chambers, the senate Tuesday adjourned plenary to the 20th of November.

The senate president, Dr. Bukola Saraki led other Principal Officers into the chambers which looked obviously scanty.

About 20 senators were noticed on seat as against the minimum 38 needed to carry out legislative activities.

Senator Babakaka Garbai moved for the approval of votes and proceedings of Thursday, 8th November 2018 and was seconded by Senator Emmanuel Paulker.

Citing order10, Senator Philip Aduda thereafter moved a motion for adjournment stating that a majority of senators were on oversight duty.

The motion was seconded by the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu

In his verdict, the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, urged senators currently on oversight duties to complete same before the end of the week.

“This is in line with order 10.3; if we do not have quorum, we need to adjourn. That being said, all senators currently on oversight function should try to complete all duties before the end of the week,” he said.

Senate Leader Ahmed Lawan moved that all other items on the order paper be stood down to another legislative day before Minority Leader seconded his position.

Read also: No past leader has insulted Nigerians the way Buhari does, God will judge him— Fani-Kayode

The absence of majority of the senators may not be unconnected to efforts by some of the senators that did not get return tickets back to the chamber to push for their replacement so as to meet up with the November 17 deadline by INEC for the withdrawal by candidates/replacement of withdrawn candidates by political parties.

Some of the senators have been uncomfortable with the outcome of their party primaries as some of them were unable to secure tickets to return to the chambers ahead of the 2019 elections.

Senator Shehu Sanni, representing Kaduna central had moved to the Peoples Redemption Party after he lost in his bid to win the senatorial ticket under the APC

Shehu has since been at loggerheads with Kaduna state governor, Nasir El-Rufai over the control of the state.

However, senators who won their party tickets might have been away in preparation for their campaigns which begin on Sunday.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now