Proceedings of the Nigerian Senate of Tuesday, 24th July, 2018

Welcome to a new Legislative Day in the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria!

Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, led the Principal Officers into the chambers; took the official prayers; and began the day’s proceedings ‪at 10:41am‬.

‪Senator Adamu Aliero moved for the approval of votes and proceedings of Thursday, 19th July, 2018. Senator Sam Anyanwu seconded.‬

‪ANNOUNCEMENT ‬
Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki announced defection of Senators: Lanre Tejuoso, Shaaba Lafiagi, Barnabas Gemade, Dino Melaye, Ubali Shittu, Rafiu Ibrahim, Isah Misau, Suleiman Hunkuyi, Abdullahi Danbaba, Bayero Nafada, Suleiman Nazif, Rabiu Kwankwaso, Soji Akanbi  to PDP and Senators Monsurat Sunmonu and Abdul-Aziz Nyako to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

“The disagreements do not translate into factionalization. I therefore feel that our Senators from the APC do not have to move to any other party.”- Senator Ahmad Lawan.

“As you know the seat of the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu is absent. He cannot get out of his house. He is being held under seige. This morning I could not also leave my street as well because some people believed today’s seating must not hold because some members want to move or defect.”- Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki.

“This is not something that started today. It will not end today. People have gone and come back, but these types of actions do not allow for such.”- Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki.

“As we are speaking, our DSP cannot leave the house. We must save this democracy. People have free association. They can even move tomorrow. I am sitting here and 16 members have decamped or defected to one party to another and there has been no seige. I dont believe that this should come to this level where people would be laid under seige for something that is personal to them.”- Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki.

PETITION
Senator Adeola Solomon raised a petition against the nomination of the AMCON Chairman from his constituency. Also enclosed in the petition are the three signatures of the 3 Senators from Lagos State against the nomination.

Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki referred the petition to the Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions to report  back in two weeks.

‪POINT OF ORDER‬
‪Senator Barnabas Gemade cited Order 42, informed the Senate on a matter of public importance, brings to the notice of the Senate the unfortunate demise of the former Chief Justice of Nigeria.‬

Senator Dino Melaye cited Order 14 and brought to the notice of the Senate his attempted assassination by the Nigerian Police while leaving his state.

“Senator Dino Melaye, we are happy that you are back and safe and I thank God for your life. As you have described, it has been a very horrific situation and we will continue to ensure that we protect ourselves and you in this journey.”- Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki.

Senator Chukwuka Utazi cited Order 42 & 52 and brought to the attention of the Senate the incarceration of the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu.

‪Senator Sam Anyanwu seconded and supported the motion. "I was with the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu yesterday and there was no notice that he was wanted by the Police at that time. The idea of laying seige on his house without prior notice demands some explanation."‬

‪"I want to say in the midst of these intimidations that my confidence in the Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki and Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu is even stronger."- Senator Sam Anyanwu.‬

‪“I am deeply worried about this strange development that not only threatens our democracy, but the unity  of this country. This matters goes beyond political parties, it is not about the survival of our democracy.”- Senator Emmanuel Bwacha.‬

“I want to advise that our security operatives should understand that they are expected to protect us all and that threats such as this will not help matters."- Senator Emmanuel Bwacha.

‪Senate resolved:‬
1. To demand that the security agencies vacate the Deputy Senate President's house immediately and allow him to enjoy his constitutional rights;

2. That the Senate does adjourn plenary immediately until after the recess.

"Let me just contribute to this issue of the Deputy Senate President because I spoke to him this morning too when I found that my house, as early as 6:30am was under seige as well. The road leading to my house was blocked and all cars going in and out were being stopped.”- Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki.

“My convoy was also stopped, then the Deputy Senate President called and said he could not come here. As you are all aware, very late yesterday, as early as 8pm, I received a letter asking me to report to the Police on the case of the Offa robbery, it had been concluded before now.”- Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki.

“So we had a situation where the Deputy Senate President could not come here and i was already going to report to the Police, so plenary would not have been able to hold today, for that reason, i had to come here to hold place.”- Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki.

“As you all rightly said, if one of our colleagues could not come out for no fault of his, I also do not see how we can sit here and continue to ignore the fact that one of us, a presiding officer, cannot be here. If it had been according to plan, I also would not be here and the Senate  would not have been able to sit today by the plans as of this morning.”- Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki.

“It was just by the intervention of the Almighty God that I managed to get myself here, otherwise, we would not have been able to sit. We will have to take decisions on these prayers and decide how we are going to deal with these issues which were actually meant to prevent us from sitting, if the presiding officers were not going to be available."- Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki.

Plenary was adjourned to reconvene after 30minutes.

Welcome to a new Legislative Day in the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria!

Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, led the Principal Officers into the chambers; took the official prayers; and began the day’s proceedings ‪at 1‬:39pm.

Senate Leader, Senator Ahmad Lawan cited Order 1B for the Senate to moderate their proceedings and moved for the Senate to recede the Electoral Act No.6 2010.

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
Senate dissolved into the Committee of the Whole for the clause by clause consideration of the Bill for an Act to amend the provisions of the Electoral Act No.6, 2010.

Senate reverted to plenary and reported progress.

A Bill for an Act to amend the provisions of the Electoral Act No.6, 2010 to further improve the electoral process and for related matters, 2018 was read the THIRD time and PASSED.

MOTION
Senator Barnabas Gemade read a motion on the demise of the former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Katsina-Alu.

Senate resolved to:
I. Observe a minute silence;

II. Send a delegation of the Senate to condole with the family of Late Chief Justice; and

III. Name a national monument after him.

CONSIDERATION OF A REPORT
Report of the Ad-hoc Committee on the promissory note programme and a bond issuance to settle inherited local debts and contractual obligations on refund to State Government for projects executed on behalf of the Federal Government by Senator Francis Alimikhena.

Senator James Manager seconded that the Senate do consider the report of the Ad-hoc Committee on the promissory note programme and a bond issuance to settle inherited local debts and contractual obligations on refund to State Government for projects executed on behalf of the Federal Government.

Senator Francis Alimikhena presented the report.

The Report was approved by the Senate.

Senator Shaaba Lafiagi moved for the approval of votes and proceedings I of Tuesday, 24th July, 2018. Senator Bassey Akpan seconded.

ADJOURNMENT
Plenary is adjourned to Tuesday, 25th September, 2018.

Signed:
New Media Department,
Office of the President of the Senate,
Federal Republic of Nigeria.