The Senate on Tuesday confirmed former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio, as its Minority Leader.
The announcement was made by the Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu.
Senator Emmanuel Bwacha (PDP Taraba South) was equally proclaimed the Deputy Minority Leader.
Other appointees of the Peoples Democratic Party for the position of minority princepal officers were Phillip Aduda (PDP FCT), who is now the Minority Whip; and Biodun Olujimi (PDP Ekiti South), the Deputy Minority Whip.
However, Senator Kabir Marafa (APC Zamfara Central) challenged Tuesday’s appointment of Principal Officers by the PDP, stressing that the Rules of the Senate on ranking was not followed.
Marafa who particularly challenged the appointment of Akpabio, a first-time senator, as the Minority Leader, said the appointment should be declared null and void.
Citing Order 13(2) of the 2015 Senate Standing Rules, Marafa argued that a ranking senator ought to occupy the position.
But Ekweremadu insisted that it was not the business of Marafa who is of the APC what transpires in the PDP with regards to nomination of principal officers.
He clarified that the issue of ranking only stipulates that ranking senators should be considered first before other non-ranking senators, stressing that the constitution allows any senator to occupy any position.
He said: “If the ranking senator cannot take the position for any reason, then the next level of ranking senators can be considered.”
The President of the Senate, dr. Bukola Saraki, also ruled Marafa out of order.
Saraki said PDP senators were not complaining and as such urged Marafa to “stop crying more than the bereaved”.