The Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Ebonyi State, Orji Uchenna Orji, yesterday, said ranking in the Senate does not prevent any first time senator from being elected as the Senate President.

Orji, who made this known in a statement made available to The Guardian, said much has been said about ranking in the Senate as though it were a condition requisite for being elected as the Senate President of Nigeria.

According to him, this sentiment has shrunk the thoughts of legal minds and suppressed the pre-eminence and considerations of the rule of the Constitution on who qualifies to be elected as the President of Nigeria’s Senate.

“Under the Constitution, the eligibility for being a Senate President is clear. By Section 50 of the Constitution of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), every member of the Senate, who has taken oath of membership is eligible to be voted for as Senate President,” he said.

Orji noted that ranking is not given any iota of pre-eminence, and by such it’s expected that in electing a Senate President, emphasis should be on nation building, capability and character to lead the Senate to achieve the aspirations of the Nigerian people.

He said the members of the Nigerian Red Chamber are known to be distinguished representatives of the people who must emphasise the virtue of mental and moral character (not ranking) as a yardstick for who is to be elected the President of the Senate.

“Order 3 of the Senate Standing Orders 2015 (as Amended) has three categories of people that could be elected as Senate President. A first timer is clearly empowered by Order 3 to contest for Senate Presidency alongside ranking members and those who came from the Federal House of Representatives,” he said.

Essentially, what determines the pendulum, the Commissioner noted, is the mindset of the party in majority, in this case, the All Progressives Congress (APC); the interest of the majority of the Senators and the prominence of power play between the ranking Senators and the first timers.

“Mind you, the first timers are greater in number under the 10th Senate. No rule says that ranking members would determine who is elected as President of the Senate. All the inaugurated Senators have equal voting rights. The ranking Senators have no extra influence or right of first refusal in who becomes the Senate President,” he said.

He stressed that Nigerians want a Senate President that would be vibrant to balance the national political equilibrium and geopolitical tripod in the 10th Senate, insisting that South East deserves the fullest consideration in this regard.

In zoning considerations, he noted that South East is one of the three major parts of the tripod, saying that in the history of Nigeria’s independence, leadership of the nation has always stood on the tripod of East, West and North, which is fair and equitable.

He added: “In settling for South East, the party in power and the distinguished Senators, who are electing the Senate President should look at pedigree not ranking; they should look at those who have served with proven records of probity and accountability.

“They should make performance and leadership experience count and not the number of tenures spent by a ranking Senator. His Excellency, David Umahi, is one of those from South East that would bring glory and honour to the 10th Senate. 

“Umahi, as Governor for eight years, has been outstanding in his cooperation and smooth working relationship with the legislative arm of the government, leading to the passage and signing into law of key legislations that have brought transformation like never before in Ebonyi State.

“Umahi has indebt knowledge of the workings of the legislature as well as intergovernmental relations. He will provide legislative ingenuity that would solve the lingering security challenges in the country. As a man with private sector experience, he would provide legislative support that would liberalise economic development in Nigeria and transform the future of this country.

“Going forward in our renewed hope for a prosperous Nigeria, Umahi is the best choice for the President of the 10th Senate.”