Senate split over equality status with Reps

The age long rivalry between the Senate and the House of Representatives came to attention again on Thursday as the Senate disagreed on equality status with the Lower House.

The debate over equality status between both chambers of the National Assembly snowballed into crisis between leadership of the Senate and the House of Representatives during the 6th National Assembly under the Senate Presidency of Senator David Mark and House Speakership of Hon. Dimeji Bankole.

Senators argued that the 1999 Constitution as amended gives more powers to the Senate than the House of Representatives while senators represent larger constituents than members of the House of Representatives.

Deputy Leader of the Senate, Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah, drew attention to this through a motion he moved on alleged comments made by the Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, on powers of the National Assembly in budget processing and passage as he attempted to explain that both Chambers of the National Assembly enjoys equal status under the constitution.

Na’Allah said both the Senate and House of Representatives have similar powers of legislation “whereas, there is nothing like the upper and lower chambers in the Constitution”.

The Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio (PDP Akwa-Ibom North West), while reacting to Na’Allah’s suggestion, said Senate was superior to the House of Representatives as recognised by the 1999 Constitution.

He said Section 81 of the Constitution gave the power to confirm executive appointments to the Senate, while Section 5 (4) (b) empowered the Senate to approve deployment of the military on combat duty outside the country.

“These are powers not given to the House of Representatives and the framers of our Constitution knew that, definitely, there must be an upper chamber. From the duties ascribed to both chambers, it is clear that one is the upper and the other is lower”, he said.

However, Majority Leader, Senator Ahmad Lawan (APC Yobe North), agreed with his deputy on the equality status of both chambers, insisting that they were equal and symbolises democracy in the country.

Senator Lawan, who raised another point of order to counter Akpabio’s arguments, explained that the two chambers were equal even though the Senate was given more responsibilities than the House of Representatives.

He said: “I served as a member of the House of Representatives for eight years and came to the Senate in 2007. I think, in fact, I am convinced that no chamber in the National Assembly can (solely) make any legislation.

“If we cannot, as a Senate, pass a bill and send it for Executive assent until it goes to the House of Representatives, it means that we have equal responsibilities on this. The Senate is only given additional responsibilities”.

The Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, however, ruled Lawan out of order, noting that it was a controversial matter and the point of order under which the Majority Leader was speaking was not for such matters.

The two chambers had flexed muscles over issue of Chairman and Co-chairman of the National Constitution Review Conference in Minna, Niger State.