Only Returning Senators Can Contest Presidency – Senate

The Senate has amended its rules to limit who can contest for the position of Senate President, allowing only members of the 10th National Assembly to qualify under the new conditions.

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Naija News reports that the decision was taken after a long closed-door meeting held on Tuesday, where lawmakers agreed on fresh guidelines meant to uphold order and experience within the chamber.

With the new changes, only senators who have completed two terms will be allowed to run for top leadership positions.

The revised rules also state that one of the two terms must be the current term before nomination. This condition reduces the number of lawmakers who can contest for the position.

Under the updated Order 4, nominations for presiding officers will now strictly follow the ranking of senators. The ranking places former Senate Presidents first, followed by former Deputy Senate Presidents, then former principal officers.

After them are senators who have served at least one full term, those who were previously members of the House of Representatives, and finally first-time senators if no one else fits the earlier categories.

With this adjustment, only senators serving in the 10th Assembly who win re-election into the 11th Senate will be eligible to contest for Senate President and other key offices.

The Senate said the change is meant to ensure that leadership positions are held by lawmakers with enough experience and to maintain the existing order within the legislative body.