Legislature
Senate Presidency: Ex-South South federal lawmakers make case for non-ranking senator elect
The group, Forum of Former National Assembly Members of the South-South geopolitical zone have canvassed for the contest for the Senate Presidency which has been ceeded to their zone, be thrown opened for all the seven All Progressives Congress (APC) senators elect from the zone to slugg it out.
Of the seven senators elect from the Zone only Senator Akpabio is ranking, the rest including the former national party chairman of the APC Adams Oshiomhole are all first timers.
Oshiomhole happened to be one of the contenders for the race of the Senate Presidency before the party’s choice of Akpabio
The group stated this after kicking against the micro-zoning of the position of the Senate President to Godswill Akpabio.
Speaking on behalf of other 18 members, Anthony Halim Agoda said: “The Forum notes that it is the prerogative of Senators-elect of the National Assembly to choose their Presiding officers to wit: President of the Senate, Deputy President of the Senate, and other Principal Officers.
“The Forum further notes that unlike the House of Representatives where only ranking members can aspire to the Speakership and Deputy Speakership positions, all Senators-elect are qualified to contest for the offices of Senate President and Deputy Senate President.
“The Senate is composed of people with divers experiences, some of them have been governors, captains of industry, Bishops, Senior police officers, many of them have ecxperiencies everywhere.
“I think it is in that wisdom it is mandatory for anyone to be elevated to the senate, he must be above 35 years, it is not like that in the House of Reps.
“There is a presumption that if you are coming to the senate you are an experienced person, that means you have the capacity.
“In legal terms whatever that is not expressly included is expressly excluded that is why you have in the House of Reps it expressly included that you must be a ranking member with cognate experience to contest for the position of speaker or deputy speaker, that is expressly included.
“In the case of the Senate it is expressly excluded which means the game is opened that has been expressed in subsection 2(3)
They said though the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has zoned the position to their zone, there is an urgent need to review the stance and throw the contest open to all senators-elect from the South South.
“Now that it has been zoned to the South South there are people by their position in Life who can hold anything so it should be opened for all if any of them want to participate for the election of the Senate Presidency we will work for that person but not to be restricted to an individual
“We have also emphasized that this is the first time the APC is winning with substantial number of benchmark in the South South zone it has never happened before.
“So we believe that the South South zone has earned the right to produce the Senate President by virtue of the fact that our people rallied behind us and gave us a substantial number of senators and House of Res members.
“The National Working Committee did say that the zoning will be subjected to wider consultation for a better and wider, it is in furtherance of that better, further and wider consultation and consultation that has given birth to this event today.
“As Defenders and promoters of democracy we strongly believe that our role as former National Assembly members is to be able to pontificate from the position of strenght and experience that is why we have taken time to read the house rules so that the much needed illumination on this subject matter can be provided for Nigerians so that they understand how poarliarmnef works
According to him, the rancour and controversy that has visited the zoning in recent times is as a result of the micro zoning and “The party has come out to clearly specify that they are going into wider consultation and the bases of that we have no doubt that the party will come out with a meaningful zoning formula where opportunity would be given to any member of the senators elect who is qualified to contest from the South-South
“We are talking about nomination and the section that has been read to us is that that has to do with nomination
At the parliament it says you will nominate a member elect, they did no say a member elect that is ranking as stated.”
“For the avoidance of doubt and purpose of clarity, the Senate rules, Order 3 sule(3)(a) state as follows: The election of the President of the Senate shall be conducted in the following manner: a) ASenator-elect, addressing the Clerk, shall propose another Senator-elect to the Senate to be President of the Senate and shall move that such Senator-elect “Do take the Chair of the Senate as President of the Senate.” Another Senator-elect shall second the nomination. b) A Senator elect when nominated and seconded shall inform the Senate whether he or she accepts the nomination. He/She may then proceed to address the Senate,
“We further note the provision of Section 14 (3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as Amended), which states: “The composition of the Government of the Federation or any of {ts agencies and the conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the federal character of Nigeria and the need to promote national unity, and also to command national loyalty, thereby ensuring that there shall be no predominance of persons from a few states or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups in that Government or any of its agencies”.
“In compliance with this Constitutional position, the country’s ethno-religious, cultural, and regional diversity and balance must be considered.
“In this context, the existing arrangement, whereby the office of the President of the Senate, the Deputy Senate President, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives are rotated between Northern and Southern Nigeria, be strictly adhered to.”
***Allocates N23.96 Trillion for Capital Projects, N14.31 Trillion for Debt Servicing
The Nigerian Senate along with the House of Represebtatives have passed the 2025 Appropriation Bill, approving a record-breaking budget of N54,990,165,355,396 to finance government activities in the coming fiscal year.
The budget, titled A Bill for an Act to Authorise the Issue from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation, was approved after deliberations on its allocations and implications for economic growth, debt management, and infrastructure development.
The chairman of the National Assemble Godswill Akpabio who is also the President of the Senate gave the beakdown of the 2025 Budget to show that Statutory Transfers: ₦3.65 trillion, debt Servicing: ₦14.32 trillion, Recurrent (Non-Debt) Expenditure: ₦13.06 trillion and
Capital Expenditure: ₦23.96 trillion
The largest chunk of the budget, ₦23.96 trillion, was allocated for capital expenditure, aimed at infrastructure development, healthcare, education, and security.
This signals the government’s commitment to addressing Nigeria’s infrastructural deficit.
However, the ₦14.32 trillion earmarked for debt servicing highlights the country’s rising debt burden, sparking concerns over long-term financial sustainability.
With the National Assembly approval, the budget now awaits President Bola Tinubu’s assent, after which implementation will begin. Analysts predict a challenging fiscal year, balancing economic growth with prudent spending and debt repayment.
However, time will tell whether the historic budget will deliver on its promises, or economic realities force adjustments down the line?
***Says addittional fund is to Prioritize Infrastructure, Health, Economic Growth
The chairman of the senate committee on Appropriation Senator Adeola Solomon Olamilekan has explained the approval of the 2025 Appropriation Bill by the national Assembly which it increased from N49.7 trillion to N54.99 trillion—the highest in the nation’s history.
The adjustment followed legislative reviews that uncovered additional revenues from key government agencies.
While explaining the Budget Expansion and Revenue Sources Olamilekan indicated that the additional N4.99 trillion was sourced from Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and Government-Owned Enterprises (GOEs)
These he said led to an increase in funding for critical sectors, including N1.5 trillion for Bank of Agriculture, N500 billion for Bank of Industry, 1 trillion for Ministry of Solid Minerals, N1.5 trillion for Renewable Infrastructure Fund, N300 billion – Road construction and N400 billion for Rail transport.
Others are N380 billion of Water resources, irrigation, and dam projects, N250 billion for Military barracks renovation N120 billion for New military aviation projects, N50 billion for Border security agencies
Following the suspension of U.S. health aid, which previously provided funding for HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, and polio treatments, President Tinubu approved $200 million (N300 billion) to ensure continued medical supplies and healthcare support for affected patients.
On the major Boost for Infrastructure Development he said a record N23.7 trillion has been allocated for capital projects, marking a significant leap in infrastructure investment.
He listed the areas the funds will focus on to include Roads and railways,nEducation and healthcare improvements and Other critical public infrastructure
To prevent delays in budget implementation, the 2026 budget process will begin in July 2025, with the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) submitted early and the Appropriation Bill expected by October 2025.
Concerns over inadequate rail infrastructure funding in the South East were raised, but legislative leaders clarified that rail projects are primarily funded through public-private partnerships (PPPs).
According to him, the 2025 budget focuses on light rail development in Lagos, Ogun, Kaduna, and Kano, while further discussions on South East projects are ongoing.
He explained that to maintain Economic Stability the budget parameters remain unchanged, with key revenue sources including FIRS increasing its revenue target to N25.1 trillion, Nigeria Customs Service boosting revenue collection through stricter enforcement and Independent revenue agencies contributing 100% of their generated funds to the federal government
The House of Representatives has directed its Joint Committee on Communications and Interior to investigate reports of unauthorized National Identification Number (NIN) linkages by telecom service providers across Nigeria.
The decision followed the unanimous adoption of a motion jointly sponsored by Hon. Patrick Umoh (APC, Akwa Ibom) and Hon. Julius Ihonvbere (APC, Edo). The House also instructed the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to probe the allegations and sanction any telecom operator found guilty of violating privacy laws.
Additionally, the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has been asked to clarify whether telecom providers were authorized to link NINs to subscriber lines and if such actions comply with existing regulations.
Hon. Umoh raised concerns about recent reports indicating that telecom companies have linked NINs to subscribers’ SIM cards without their consent. He warned that this unauthorized linkage exposes Nigerians to criminal activities, such as identity theft, financial fraud, and other cybercrimes.
“This action is a clear violation of the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 and the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR) 2019, which guarantee the right to privacy and the protection of personal data,” Umoh stated.
He further emphasized that while the NIN system was introduced to enhance national security and streamline identification processes, unauthorized linkages undermine public trust and jeopardize citizens’ safety.
“Aware that innocent citizens have been wrongly implicated in crimes, suffered reputational damage, harassment, and legal challenges for offenses they know nothing about, it is imperative that we address this issue immediately,” Umoh added.
The House has mandated the probe committee to submit its findings within four weeks, as lawmakers seek to protect Nigerians from potential data breaches and uphold the integrity of national security protocols.
-
Crime1 year agoPolice nabs Killer of Varsity Lecturer in Niger
-
News1 year agoFCT-IRS tells socialite Aisha Achimugu not to forget to file her annual returns
-
Appointment1 year agoTinubu names El-Rufai, Tope Fasua, others in New appointments
-
Kogi1 year agoINEC cancells election in 67 polling units in Ogori-Magongo in Kogi
-
Kogi1 year agoEchocho Challenges Tribunal Judgment ordering rerun in 94 polling units
-
News1 year agoIPOB: Simon Ekpa gives reason for seperatists clamour for Biafra
-
Metro11 months ago‘Listing Simon Ekpa among wanted persons by Nigeria military is rascality, intimidation’
-
News1 year agoKingmakers of Igu/ Koton-Karfe dare Bello, urge him to reverse deposition of Ohimege-Igu