Senators at the resumption of plenary on Wednesday had disagreed over a motion to immortalize Humphrey Nwosu, the deceased chairman of the National Electoral Commission, NEC, which over saw the conduct of the June 12 1993 elections.
Coming under order 41, under the motion of urgent national importance raised by Eyinnaya Abaribe representing Abia South, he stressed the importance of the senate and Nigeria to immortalize the late electioral commission helmsman due to the significance of the elections adjudged till date to be Nigeria’s freest and fairest elections ever.
However he was barely able to proceed when he was interjected by the leader of the senate who brought it to his attention that other lawmakers were yet to get copies of the motion in question.
The presiding officer then adviced that the motion be stepped down pending when senators have received copies of the motion.
However, Senator Abaribe drew the attention of the senate, noting that all lawmakers present had now gotten copies of the motion and was ready to proceed, however when the motion was put to a voice vote on whether the senate entertains the matter, the Nays had it and the motion was shut down.
Abaribe once again raised a point of order this time coming under order 1b, motion of personal explanation but he was once again interrupted by the senate leader who mentioned that the proceedings had gone way past motions on the order paper and could not revisit it.
This then led to a minor disagreement on the floor where Abaribe raised concerns that the presiding officer was behaving like it were a dictatorship.
In the end the presiding officer appealed that the matter be put to rest due to it’s controversial nature especially because of the opposing views he’d by different Nigerians on the conduct of June 12 and it’s outcome.
Abaribe who was displeased with the development, walked out of the chambers in protest.
