FAREWELL SPEECH BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, HIS EXCELLENCY, DAVID MARK, ON THE VALEDICTORY SESSION TO MARK THE END OF THE 6TH SENATE AT SENATE CHAMBER ON THURSDAY, 2ND JUNE, 2011.
It is my pleasure and privilege to address you my bosses and colleagues,
distinguished Senators of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on this auspicious
occasion of the winding up of the 6th Senate. There is time for everything under
the sun.
I thank the Almighty God Who has made it possible for us to witness this great
day. It is most unfortunate that conspicuously absent from this gathering, are
two of our colleagues, who were snatched away by the cold hands of death. Two
very illustrious Senators from Gombe State are not here to share in the joy of
this day with us, Late Senators Tawar Umbi Wada and Peto Dukku. May their gentle
souls rest in peace. Amen.
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contenders
Benue ACN governorship candidate files petition at tribunal
Protest over the defeat of Ugbah started even before the election result was declared
The defeated governorship candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Benue State, Steve Ugbah, formally filed his petition Tuesday at the state election petition tribunal challenging the re-election of the incumbent Gabriel Suswam.
Accompanied by his running mate, Usman Abubakar, a team of lawyers and a throng of supporters, the ACN governorship candidate was received by the tribunal secretary, Mohammed Bello. At the head of the team of lawyers was a former attorney general of the state, Joe Abaagu.
Ribadu Writes Nigerians A “Thank You” Letter
Thank You Nigerians
Last October I picked up membership of the Action Congress of Nigeria, and with that move, started an important journey, along with fellow compatriots, to help renew our dreams and our country. It was a journey and a challenge to correct what we diagnosed to be wrong and ill about governance in our country.
Senate Defends New Rules for Internal Elections
A session in the Senate
A proposed addition to the senate’s standing rules, which will give the incumbent senate president an edge in the contest for next session’s senate presidency, does not preclude any other aspirant, the senate spokesman, Ayogu Eze has said.
Mr. Eze, who spoke on Thursday in Abuja during a press briefing at the national assembly, said the new addition is meant to fine-tune the existing rules which passively precluded neophyte senators from aspiring to office of presiding offices in the senate.
The proposed rule, which will be adopted by the senate Tuesday next week, will replace rule 97[1][f] of the current standing order of the senate. The section states that nomination of senators to serve as principal officers and chairmen of committees shall be in accordance with ranking of senators in which returning senators will take precedence, but did not categorize the ranks.
Ribadu joins UN anti-corruption team in Afghanistan
The Presidential candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, today begins a three-week country governance audit of Afghanistan as part of a six-man international monitoring team set up by the United Nations under the “Afghanistan Anti-Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Committee.”
Mr. Ribadu left Nigeria for Afghanistan last Tuesday, May 3; joined five other team members in Dubai; and traveled into Kabul at the weekend where they are expected to fine-tune the strategy of curbing corruption in the troubled country.
Ugbah To Challenge Suswan in Tribunal with 105 Lawyers
Steve Ugbah, ACN governorship candidate in Benue
The Action Congress of Nigeria Benue Chapter has assembled a team of 105 lawyers and 65 forensic experts to prosecute their governorship election petition. The legal team consists of seasoned and veteran Senior Advocates of Nigeria and other erudite legal practitioners of international repute who have made a mark in election petitions.
Battle for senate presidency begins before election
Senate President presidening a plenary
The April 2nd legislative arm election is still two weeks away. Only few of the contestants are certain of victory. Fewer of the re-contesting senators are certain of returning to the senateand no one is sure of the composition the final list of senators that will constitute seventh senate, yet, intense lobby for who becomes the senate president is splitting the senate.
Over the past four weeks, there have been deep underhand consultations within and outside the national assembly by aspiring senate presidents from th
e ranks of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and their sponsors – godfathers. The lobbyists and aspirants have been contacting prospective senators and party leader
ship, including the busy President Goodluck Jonathan seeking for support.
There are four major contenders for the seat; three from the current sitting senators, all bandying different criteria favouring them for the job and all hoping for support from President Jonathan. The contestants are not deterred by the first huddle of winning the April 2nd election neither are they held back by the possibility of the seventh senate not being dominated by PDP lawmakers.
ogala 