There was uproar at the National Assembly yesterday as members of the House of Representatives attempted to open debate on last month�s general election in the country.
But the Senate, unperturbed by the development at the lower chamber, has indicated that it would begin debate on the conduct and outcome of election at its plenary today.
This is coming on the heels of approval of N2.124 billion by the leadership of the lower chambers as severance package for the 306 members of the House, whose tenure expires on June 3.
The rowdy session at the House followed the inability of members to adopt the interim report on the 2007 elections by the committee headed by Honourable Hamisu Shira from Bauchi State.
House members had commenced sitting by 11. 05 am when the Speaker, Honourable Aminu Bello Masari, called on Shira to present the report after the prayers and approval of the votes and proceedings.
Shira, who though said he had an interim report, was opposed by some members who said he was given one week, beginning from last week, to present the authentic report.
At this stage, the House became rowdy as some lawmakers insisted that there was no need to read the report while some insisted that it must be read even as an interim one.
House leader, Honourable Abdul Ningi, however pleaded that the committee be given another week to produce the report.
But Masari had to save the day when he seized the moment and assured his colleagues that the Business committee would produce enough copies for all members so that it could be debated.
He disclosed that even if the report was made available it could have been equally debated and the position of the House taken and keyed in, since the joint sitting of the National Assembly was expected to come out with a position paper on the elections.
“This report will not represent the decision of the House. It will be debated and a joint report of both Houses will be adopted,” he said.
However, Honourable Farouk Lawan, member of the Electoral Matters Committee, who survived a tough battle to win his re-election to the House, said he was not part of the panel report and should be dissociated from it.
Shira, who lost re-election bid from his Bauchi State constituency, and was piqued by the reaction of his colleagues, said though it was an interim report, it was equally ready since he has rounded up all that was required.
He told THISDAY at the National Assembly building after the rowdy session that he has been vindicated by the reaction. Shira disclosed that “only about 20 per cent of the members who have been returned to the House were strongly opposed to the report being read while those that lost the election and in the majority wanted it read on the floor.
In the Senate, an All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) Senator Mohammed Aruwa (Kaduna Central) wanted the lawmakers to debate the conduct and outcome of the polls on the floor.
Aruwa had come under Orders 42 and 52 of the Senate Standing Rules on matter of urgent national importance and expeditious discussion of the matter raised to call on the Senate to review the polls. But he was not allowed to move the appropriate motion to that effect.
The Senate resolved to stand down the motion till today. Aruwa’s planned motion was vehemently opposed by many senators of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) when the issue was put to vote as to whether or not it should be discussed forthwith.
The Senate President, Senator Ken Nnamani had drawn the attention of the Senate to the fact that presenting and debating the motion would not violate Order 53 of the Senate Standing Rule.
According to him, “This is because the Election Tribunals have not yet commenced sittings.”
He, however, put the issue to voice vote and those who voted against the immediate debate of the motion were more than those who supported it.
Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, however, cited Order 42 (2) of the Senate Standing Rules to the effect that the motion could be taken at the next legislative day (today).
He contended that the voice vote that stopped the immediate debate of the motion did not foreclose it from being taken or debated at the next legislative day.
Udoma said only one-fifth of the 109 senators was required to allow the motion to be debated, adding that those who voted in support of debating the motion were less than 22 or one-fifth.
Before the Senate President delivered his final ruling that the issue would be debated today, Udoma admonished members of the Senate not to embark on the venture of trying to stop their colleagues from expressing their views on any matter.
Meanwhile, the 360 members of the Federal House of Representatives are to share N2.124 billion as severance package after four years in office.
THISDAY also gathered yesterday in Abuja that each lawmaker is to receive N5.9 million from the package, which excluded their monthly pay, sitting allowances and other pecks attached to their offices.
A member of the House, who heads one of the committees confirmed to THISDAY that Masari okayed the package at the executive session of the House.
The N3.124 billion may be paid before the tenure of the present legislature expires in June but other allowances of the members will be paid before the end of this week.
Masari, THISDAY also gathered, assured the members that their pay will not be delayed following what some members said was as a result of expenses incurred during the electioneering campaigns for the April elections.
In a related development, newly elected members of the House of Representatives and the Senate have started pouring into the federal capital territory to acquaint themselves with the workings of the National Assembly before their swearing-in next month.
Besides, some of them have started jostling for juicy offices at the National Assembly.
Just yesterday, some new lawmakers addressed the media on the need to have a focused programme for the incoming federal House of Representatives.
Honourable Emma Jime coming under the platform of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) (Benue State), who spoke on behalf of his colleagues disclosed that the members in conjunction with those who were reelected would work towards rectifying some of the flaws noticed in the Electoral Act.
He said they would work out ways by which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would be made independent from the Presidency and funded without the Presidency choosing who should be appointed the chairman.
He said those who lost the elections should seek redress in the Judiciary as they are bound to get justice from the Election Tribunal set up for that purpose.