Senators who are members of the Unity Forum have accused the Clerk of National Assembly, Alhaji Salisu Maikasuwa, of conniving with Senators of Like Minds to tamper with Senate rules to pave the way for Senator Bukola Saraki as President of the Senate.
The senators, who are loyal to Senator Ahmad Lawan, alleged that ahead of the election of the Senate president, which was held on June 9, some officials of the National Assembly injected another clause into the Senate rules.
The spokesman of the group, Senator Kabiru Marafa, argued that the inauguration of the 8th Senate and subsequent election of Saraki, with 57 senators in attendance, was an indication that the perpetrators of the act actively involved the management of the federal parliament.
Investigation revealed that old Senate rules specified that election of the Senate President should be by open ballot, whereas a copy of the new rule circulated to members indicated that the election shall be by secret ballot.
Further checks into the Senate rules book revealed that any amendment to the rules must be done on the floor of the Senate.
The spokesman for the Lawan group also demanded the prosecution of the National Assembly management for allegedly contributing to the plot.
The old Senate rule on voting for the emergence of the Senate president states: “Voting shall be conducted by the clerk at-the-table using division list of the Senate with the tellers in attendance. The Clerk of the Senate shall submit result of the division to the Clerk of the National Assembly.”
However, in the new Senate rule given to Senators, it was stated: “Voting by secret ballot which shall be concluded by the clerk-at-table using the list of the Senators-elect of the Senate, who shall each be given a ballot paper to cast his vote, with the proposers and seconder as tellers.”
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