NASS Leadership Tussle: Senate Rejects Move To Read APC’s Letter
Agency Report
— Jun 24, 2015 6:22 pm | 1 Comment
The Senate on Wednesday rejected a move by some APC senators to read the letter by the APC recommending some senators to occupy other principal officers of the senate.

Sen. Gbenga Ashafa (APC-Lagos East), who relied on Order 15 of the Senate Standing Order, urged that the President of the Senate should read on the floor of the Red Chamber the letter from the Party.

“Yesterday, most of the media houses carried a letter that was written by the Chairman of our great party, the APC.
“We were expecting that that letter which has been received in your office will be read in order to see to the resolution of the party leadership tussle,” he said.
He backed the decision of the party leadership to recommend persons to occupy the other positions exclusively preserved for the party.

Quoting from Order 28 (1) he read: “There shall be a Majority Leader of the Senate. The Majority Leader shall be a senator nominated from the party with the highest number of senators.

“I believe that that letter should have been read to the hearing of all senators here present. Perhaps that will be the solution to the leadership tussle in the Senate,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, had in a letter dated June 22, 2015, recommended Senators to occupy the other principal positions.

The letter recommended Sen. Ahmad Lawan as Senate Leader; George Akume, Deputy Senate Leader; Olusola Adeyeye as Chief Whip; and Abu Ibrahim as Deputy Whip.

However, Sen. Ibn Na’Allah (APC-Kebbi South) immediately countered the point of order and explained that the nomination should be made `from’ the party not made `by’ the party.

“By the ordinary principles of interpretation of documents that have been agreed by parties, the ordinary letters and words used must be given their effective meaning.

“Order 28 used ‘from’, not ‘by’. What this seeks to do is to deter the minority party from nominating the Majority Leader,” he said.
The President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, who presided over plenary, ruled Sen. Ashafa out of order and declined to read the said letter.

He said: “I have listened to Senators Ashafa and Na’Allah. Going by the rules and what has been said earlier, I think I will just note what Senator Ashafa has said.
“We will leave the matter as that and in that case, rule that out of order.”

Another attempt was made by Sen. Kabir Marafa (APC-Zamfara Central) to question the June 9 election of Saraki and Ekweremadu, but that too was ruled out of order by the President of the Senate.

Marafa, relying on Order 110 and 3 (e) (i), of the Senate Standing Order, sought to know which of the Order Books (2011 or 2015) was being used to coordinate the activities of the 8th Senate.

He described the 2011 Senate Standing Order as ‘genuine and authentic’ thereby countering the authenticity of the Senate Standing Order 2015.
“I am still referring to the events of the 9th of June, 2015, in this chamber. I have two Order Books and I am running into confusion, and I think there’s a need for the President to rule.

“Which of the Order Books are we going to use to coordinate the activities of this Senate?’’ he asked.
Marafa insisted that there was a conflict in the two books as to the procedure that should be taken for election of presiding officers of the senate.

Proffering explanation, the Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekwerenmadu, said that from 1999 till date, the Senate had come with its own rules.
“There was Senate Rule of 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011 and now 2015. The reason is quite simple.

“If you look at Section 64 of the 1999 Constitution it says that the Senate and House of Representatives shall each stand dissolved at the expiration of a period of four years commencing from the date of the first sitting of the house.

“So, the implication is that the rule he was referring to ended with the Senate on the 6th of June,” he said.
The President of the Senate thereafter ruled Sen. Marafa out of order. (NAN)

http://leadership.ng/news/442794/nass-leadership-tussle-senate-rejects-move-to-read-apcs-letter

Apc is about to self destruct

I wonder when they will have time to deliberate on national issues, since all they do in the house is to fight each other on issues concerning (APC)...

Where did nigerians get it wrong How did they deceive nigerians to vote for them

Please progethieves, be calm this WWE is only meant to strengthen our democracy

thank God I voted f0r GMB and n0t APC

Feranchek:
thank God I voted f0r GMB and n0t APC

As far am concern APC hasn't done anything wrong....it is saraki that has let his own interest over rule other interest without reaching a concesus.

Clash of the titans!!!! When will these greedy senators start discussing matters that concerns Nigeria

fitzmayowa:
I wonder when they will have time to deliberate on national issues, since all they do in the house is to fight each other on issues concerning (APC)...

Where did nigerians get it wrong How did they deceive nigerians to vote for them

no body want to listen to me. they can deceive all but not me, buhari is a
thief. You will findout before the end of his
administration.

There will soon be new APC (nAPC) whose leaders in the NASS will decamp and pledge allegiance to PDP


The nPDP gave the then opposition APC the capacity to bring down PDP with only 2,700,000 votes and will bring APC back to opposition when the time comes.

Winning a war is not enough rather sharing the. Spoils of the war.

ki02020:




As far am concern APC hasn't done anything wrong....it is saraki that has let his own interest over rule other interest without reaching a concesus.

he's a member of d party and d way they're taking d wh0le issue is definitely n0t d best f0r d Nati0n

Feranchek:


he's a member of d party and d way they're taking d wh0le issue is definitely n0t d best f0r d Nati0n

Do you still consider a man that wine and dine with your enemies a friend?....I guess no is the answer

IsraeliAIRFORCE:
There will soon be new APC (nAPC) whose leaders in the NASS will decamp and pledge allegiance to PDP


The nPDP gave the then opposition APC the capacity to bring down PDP with only 2,700,000 votes and will bring APC back to opposition when the time comes.

Good, i love ur poem and its the truth u said

IsraeliAIRFORCE:
Winning a war is not enough rather sharing the. Spoils of the war.

hahahahah thank God you are getting the point. they can deceive all but not me,

dealslip:
Please progethieves, be calm this WWE is only meant to strengthen our democracy

:*

Feranchek:
thank God I voted f0r GMB and n0t APC

haha

nAPC...