Campaigns, lateness take toll on Senate’s quorum

The majority of senators have now abandoned plenary and committee duties as reelection campaigns take a toll on sitting quorum, according to findings by the Nigerian Tribune in Abuja.

Investigation also showed on Wednesday that the lawmakers who found time to attend plenary, did so late, with some resuming one to two hours behind schedule.

On Wednesday, the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, arrived in the chamber at exactly 12.38pm, one hour, thirty-eight minutes behind the official 11am plenary resumption time. Several lawmakers followed suit.

The newspaper observed that before Akpabio’s arrival, his deputy, Senator Barau Jibrin, who took charge, had to wait for over one hour for more senators to arrive to form a quorum.

The Senate Whip, Senator Mohammed Monguno, twice informed Barau that proceedings could not take place because there was no quorum.

The Senate’s quorum to sit and transact business is one-third of all its members.

Under Section 54(1) of the 1999 Constitution, at least 36 senators out of the total of 109 must be present for the commencement of any day’s business.

It states: “The quorum of the Senate or of the House of Representatives shall be one-third of all the members of the Legislative House concerned.”

READ ALSO: 2027: Senate embraces Rainbow Coalition, says it’s on course

Investigations on Wednesday indicated that participation in re-election campaigns had been the drawback for the senators hoping to return in 2027 for the 11th Assembly.

With the polls less than 80 days (11.43 weeks) away on January 16, 2027, senators vying for a return are said to be preoccupied with campaigns in their senatorial districts.

Of the total of 109, at least 57 senators are seeking reelection on various political party platforms, with their attention currently shifted to distribution of palliatives, inauguration projects, rallies, consultations and town hall meetings, according to investigations.

“They have said the elections are going to be tough back home and have to be closer to their bases.

“Campaigns have taken a toll on them. They now breeze in and breeze out. There will hardly be full attendance before January 16 “, a legislative official informed the Nigerian Tribune on Wednesday.

The Nigerian Tribune gathered that the implication of Section 54(1) of the constitution “is that the Senate cannot validly conduct business without that minimum (36)” as any senator could challenge a decision of the Senate taken without forming a quorum.

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, did not respond to inquiries by the newspaper on Wednesday.