- Safiu Kehinde
Lawmaker representing Abia South Senatorial District, Sen. Eyinnaya Ababribe, has on Wednesday slammed the Senate Majority Leader, Sen. Opeyemi Bamidele, over proposed bill to immortalize former National Electoral Commission (NEC) Chairman, late Humphrey Nwosu, and June 12.
The late Nwosu, who conducted the annulled June 12, 1993 election, served as NEC Chairman from 1989 to 1993.
He passed away at the age of 83 on 24th of October, 2024 with reports indicating that he will be buried on March 28, 2025.
According to report, Sen. Abaribe (APGA-Abia South) had moved the motion for Nwosu’s immortalization under Senate Orders 41 and 51 but faced opposition.
The motion was put to a voice vote and subsequently turned down by Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau, who presided over the session.
Expressing his frustration, Abaribe questioned why the motion was considered controversial.
“Mr. President, I don’t see what is controversial about immortalising Humphrey Nwosu. That is our problem—what exactly is controversial about it?”
He faulted Bamidele for turning down the bill and denying him opportunity give personal explanations.
Abaribe held that the Chamber is not under dictatorship regime as he argued that the Senators are entitled to personal explanation as contained in the Senate’s standing order.
“In all cases not provided by the standing order or sectional orders or practice of the Senate, the Senate shall by resolution regulate its procedure. Even if the Senate leader says that it doesn’t follow, the fact that a Senator wants to make a personal explanation, you must give that Senator a chance to make that personal explanation. We are not under a dictatorship Mr. President.” Abaribe said.
Supporting the Abia lawmaker, Sen. Yahaya Abdullahi (PDP-Kebbi) warned against setting a “dangerous precedent” by restricting when senators could raise personal explanations.
“Point of Order and Personal Explanation can be raised at any time. We must not deny senators the opportunity to interject or intervene when necessary,” Abdullahi argued.
Reacting, the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, who presided over the plenary, explained that the Abaribe had raised the motion under order 42 which was against his initial discussion with him.
Jibrin disclosed that the Abia lawmaker had earlier approached him requesting to raise a motion under order 40 and 51.
“We are all experienced senators here and grounded in our rules and I refer you to order 42 once again.
“When we came this morning, you approached in respect of your desire to bring forward this motion under Order 40 and 51. You never told me you were bringing it under order 42.
“When it came under Order 41 and 51, it was defeated, now you changed your mind to bring it under order 52.
“We agreed that Abaribe is bringing a motion under order 41 and 51 which we agreed but leader, did I tell you that he was going to bring the motion under Order 42? I want to be transparent and plain; you didn’t tell me.” The Deputy Senate President said.
However, Bamidele argued that Abaribe failed to follow proper procedure, as he was late in citing another Senate order.
“Mr President, we had already passed the relevant points in our order of the day. Matters of urgent public importance and personal explanations have a specific timeframe, which had already elapsed,” Bamidele explained.
The Senate Leader further noted that Abaribe would need to reintroduce the motion formally on the next legislative day through a substantive motion.