The House of Representatives on Wednesday, amended its Standing Orders, effectively barring first-term lawmakers from holding principal offices. The resolution was passed following the adoption of a motion sponsored by Babajimi Benson, lawmaker representing Ikorodu Federal Constituency of Lagos.
The resolution clarified Order 7, Rule 15 of the Standing Orders of the house of representatives.
Order 7, Rule 15 of the Standing Orders of the green chamber states that “only members with cognate legislative experience as members of the house of representatives” shall be eligible for appointment as principal officers of the house.
Benson said “global parliamentary best practices rule out first-term parliamentarians from holding principal offices and reserve principal offices for experienced legislators to promote institutional memory, deepen understanding of legislative processes, and enhance competence in constitutional interpretation and intergovernmental relations”.
He referenced the senate’s recent amendment to its rules restricting leadership positions to senators who have served at least two terms.
“The 10th senate has recently specifically defined ‘cognate legislative experience’ to mean ‘senators who have completed at least one full four-year term’, adding that those with multiple previous terms must have served in the immediate past assembly,” he said.
The lawmaker said there is a need to prioritise institutional memory, “deepen parliamentary stability and continuity, build legislative experience, minimise avoidable turbulence, and promote mature representation in the comity of international parliamentary associations”.
The House unanimously adopted the motion when the Speaker Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, put it to a voice vote.
Following that, the house defined “cognate legislative experience” under Order 7, Rule 15 of its Standing Orders as applying to members who have completed at least one full four-year term.
The resolution effectively shut out first-term lawmakers, including Ikenga Ugochinyere, lawmaker representing Ideato North/Ideato South Federal constituency, from the race for minority leader.
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