The Senate was thrown into rowdy session on Wednesday following the request of Dino Melaye (PDP, Kogi West) to present a motion at the next plenary session.
Mr Melaye, who raised a point of order, asked his colleagues to let him bring a motion to debate the militarisation of the just concluded general elections.
Nigeria conducted her presidential and National Assembly elections on February 23 and the governorship and state houses of assembly elections on March 9.
Mr Melaye who said his point of order was not political, said the motion will help curb electoral malpractices in future elections.
“What I am raising this morning has nothing to do with political parties.
“I want to bring before this Senate, the elections both on the 9th and 23rd in this country and I believe that the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria shall not close our eyes to the happenings of those elections.
“I want that election to be debated on this floor. I want to bring a motion to be addressed by this Senate in the next legislative day so that the militarisation of the process, the abuses of this election, will not go undiscussed in this parliament for posterity sake.
“And so that solutions can be given and the president can also be properly advised and the electoral act be signed into law as we begin to prepare for future elections.
“This is my prayer. Let it be discussed as a Senate. We will debate and give accounts of what happened in our various senatorial districts with the vision of correcting electoral malpractices, he said.
The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, thereafter, put the question for a voice vote.
There was loud echo of “ayes and “nays”.
Mr Saraki, however, ruled that the prayer be adopted. He said according to the Senate’s Standing Order, only one-fifth of the lawmakers is required to support the prayer before it can be adopted.
“Distinguished colleagues, by the order, you only need one-fifth of the senators to support the motion. It will be taken in the next legislative day,” he said,
Arguments ensued.
The Senate Leader, Ahmed Lawan, stood up to question Mr Saraki’s ruling.
“A non-partisan motion was on the floor. You ruled. We didn’t hear the ruling. What was your ruling,” he asked amidst increasing noise.
For Bala Na’Allah, there was no motion. He said Mr Melaye introduced himself as a “senator-elect”.
“He was not speaking as a senator,” he added.
In a bid to calm the seemingly angry lawmaker, the senate president, again, explained his ruling. He said the motion, when brought, will not be partisan.
He also said legal action will be taken where necessary and the motion will be debated at the leadership before it is placed on the order paper.
In the midst of the rowdiness, Barau Jibrin (APC, Kano) also stood up to question Mr Saraki’s ruling – again.
He quoted the order of the Senate which permits a lawmaker to challenge the opinion of the Senate president/the chairman.
“I don’t know your ruling on the motion.”
Again, more noise.
Mr Saraki pleaded with his colleagues not to abuse the process of the plenary and move on to other important business of the day.
Mr Melaye is, therefore, expected to lead a motion on the alleged militarisation of the just concluded general elections on Thursday.
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