The Nigerian Senate will be the
cynosure of all eyes today as Senate president, Bukola Saraki is set to name
the chairmen and vice-chairmen of committees in the upper chamber.
Senate
president, Bukola Saraki
A source was quoted as saying ranking senators across
party lines have vowed to resist any move to give them committees that are seen
not to be influential.
It was gathered that the Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) senators met at the residence of former Senate president, Senator David
Mark, over the issue last night.
According to Daily Trust, Saraki
seems to have incurred the wrath of the PDP senators with the confirmation of the former governor of Rivers state, Rotimi Amaechi,
as a minister on Thursday, October 27.
But the publication says Saraki is set to appease the
aggrieved PDP senators with juicy committees in order to regain their support.
On its part, the Nigerian Pilot reports that the just
concluded ministerial screening left Saraki in a political quandary.
The publication reports that the strength and base of
Saraki, at the red chamber was the PDP senators but his base is reportedly
shaking, because of the Amaechi’s saga.
Reports however says barring any last-minute change,
the Senate president will unveil the list of chairmen tomorrow, November
4.
Asked in a text message if the Saraki’s appointments
were ready to be announced, a principal officer replied: “No, we may
finish the final touches tonight (yesterday).
According to another source, Saraki has increased the
standing committees by eight, thereby moving it from 57 to 64 in order to carry
so many senators along.
It will be recalled that the Speaker of the House of
Representatives also recently increased the number of its standing committees
from 89 to 95.
Meanwhile, the amended Senate Standing Rules 2015
prescribes equal committee chairmanship positions for each of the six
geo-political zones of the country.
The provision as contained in Section 3(iv) of the
2015 Senate Standing Orders, does not exist in 2011 edition used during the
Seventh Senate.
The implication of this amendment is that the zones
controlled by the PDP will chair almost the same number of committees with
those controlled by the ruling APC.
The section reads: “The appointment of
senators as chairmen and members of committees shall be carried out in such a
manner as to reflect the six geo-political zones of the country and there shall
be no predominance of senators from a few geo-political zones.”
In a related development, some
All Progressives Congress (APC) members of the House of Representatives have reportedly asked the
speaker, Yakubu Dogara, to retrieve the oil and gas sector committee from the
PDP.
The members, who are aggrieved over the decision of
Dogara to give the PDP committees regarded as ”juicy”, expressed disgust at the
speaker’s action.
It will be recalled that Dogara named the chairmen and deputy chairmen of 96 standing committees
of the House on Thursday, October 22.
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