The President of the Nigerian Senate, Godswill Akpabio, announced a two-day break for lawmakers, citing their active involvement in the campaign for upcoming bye-elections on 3 February in certain states. According to the Senate Standing Rule, official plenary sessions are designated for Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.
Following a hiatus of approximately 30 days for the Christmas break, the upper chamber reconvened today. The plenary, which commenced around 11:25 am, lasted for about five hours, including a two-hour closed-door session from 12:20 pm to 2:25 pm.
During the plenary session, Akpabio welcomed his colleagues and stressed the significance of delivering good governance. He urged collaboration with President Bola Tinubu to achieve this shared goal. Akpabio then informed lawmakers that the next plenary session is scheduled for Tuesday, 6 February, after they actively participate in the bye-election campaign in their respective constituencies.
“In view of the elections in about 36 constituencies in the country, coming up on Saturday, both the House of Representatives and the distinguished chamber of the Senate, we have agreed that we have less than 48 hours to partake in the campaigns which will close on Thursday by midnight. And therefore, this Senate stands adjourned to the 6th day of February 2024 at 11 a.m. prompt,” Akpabio announced.
The decision to adjourn aims to provide lawmakers with the necessary time to engage in electoral activities ahead of the bye-elections, allowing them to fulfill their campaign obligations.
