Based on the 8th Senate standing orders, the Peoples' Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress will enjoy equal committee makeup.
Following the provisions of the 8th Senate's standing order, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), shall not enjoy any predominance over the opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Findings revealed that the new Senate Standing Orders stipulates that 57 Committees shall be shared equally, and that is already causing squabbles among some members of the ruling party, who by the composition of the 8th Senate, are in the majority in the Red Chamber.
A Senator who spoke on condition of anonymity, said this is one of the major issues in the new Senate Standing Orders, “and we are working hard to ensure it does not subsist on the floor of the Senate.”
However, further findings revealed that this new Senate Orders runs contrary to what was obtainable in the David Mark-led 7th Senate where the ruling party enjoyed predominant advantage over other political parties.
While the 7th Senate’s Orders did not stipulate the distribution of chairmanship positions, the 8th Senate Standing Orders remove this prerogative entirely from the ruling party, the APC and makes it very clear how chairmanship positions must be shared.
According to the 8th Senate Orders, which is a subject of controversy, no geopolitical zones shall have predominance over others. It says in Chapter two, Orders 2(3) 2(iv), “The appointment of senators as chairmen and members of the committees shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the six geopolitical zones of the country and there shall be no predominance of the senators from a few geopolitical zones.”
The implication of this strange Order is that APC shall only enjoy chairmanship advantage in zones where it dominates. The ruling party dominates the Southwest, Northwest, Northcentral and a slim dominance in the Northeast.