Senate President of Nigeria: Who is the Senate President of Nigeria?

The President of Nigeria is the head of state and head of government. The role of President was established in 1999, following the end of military rule. The president's duties are to serve as both a representative and defender for all Nigerians. Apart from being the commander-in-chief, he or she is also responsible for appointing members to Cabinet who then submit proposals on how best to run Nigeria. The Senate President is second in line for succession if there are no Vice Presidents available following death or resignation by the president. He has some power over legislation, but not as much as that possessed by his counterpart in lower house - House Speaker - which means he serves more as an advisor than anything else. One notable example was when Senator Bukola

 

Section 1: Who is the Senate President of Nigeria?

The president is the head of state and head of government. The role of President was established in 1999, following the end of military rule. The president's duties are to serve as both a representative and defender for all Nigerians. Apart from being the commander-in-chief, he or she is also responsible for appointing members to Cabinet who then submit proposals on how best to run Nigeria. The Senate President is second in line for succession if there are no Vice Presidents available following death or resignation by the president. He has some power over legislation, but not as much as that possessed by his counterpart in lower house - House Speaker - which means he serves more as an advisor than anything else.

 

What are his duties?

In Nigeria, Senate is the upper house of parliament, the elected body that represents the regional governments. It has 48 Senators representing the 48 states.

 

The President appoints the Senate President who in turn votes as his Deputy. The duties of Senate President are as follows: to preside over the Senate, to elect the President of the Senate, to nominate members to the Nigerian Electoral Commission. The Senate President is also responsible for all proceedings in the Senate, and can delay or end any debate or proceeding if he or she so decides.

 

How does he and his staff earn their salaries?

 

The salaries of the Senate President and other members are paid from a fund called the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF), meaning that the allocation is not up to them to decide.

 

How does he get to be Senate President?

The Senate has power to impeach the president as well as the Speaker of House of Representatives. As Senate President, he appoints the leader of the majority party (in the Senate) and leader of the opposition, depending on the makeup of the Senate (a two-third majority is needed). His power has decreased since 2007, when the 109 senators formed a coalition government.

 

Fred Itua

 

Fred Itua is a Media Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari.

 

Fred Itua

 

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How does he compare to the House Speaker?

Senate President, Bukola Saraki. [Image source: Twitter] The Senate President is second in line for succession if there are no Vice Presidents available following death or resignation by the president. He has some power over legislation, but not as much as that possessed by his counterpart in lower house - House Speaker - which means he serves more as an advisor than anything else. One notable example was when Senator Bukola Saraki was impeached, allegedly on account of his efforts to allow his state governor, Ayo Fayose, run for president despite a restriction imposed by the constitution. The Senate President also has the authority to speak for the Senate, as opposed to the Speaker. The position of the Senate President does not have the same powers as the Speaker's.

 

Conclusion

The Nigerian Senate is made up of both elected and unelected members. The Senators are mostly chosen by the ruling party but do not necessarily have to belong to that party, and the current government of Nigeria is still in power. They are the second highest legislative authority in Nigeria, after the Federal Government.

 

Each member of the senate is elected from an electoral ward and region (between the six states). Senators are elected to a six-year term, after which they are subject to re-election. The senate has 30 Senators at present, which serve four-year terms. There is a deputy senate president, however. The deputy Senate president can be elected separately from the senate president, which is part of the Nigerian senate's constitution.