The inauguration of the 9th Senate started at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday with protest from supporters of Sen. Ahmad Lawan following announcement from the Clerk of the National Assembly that secret ballot would be used for the election.
It was gathered that governors under the platform of the ruling APC and the chairman of the party were also at the assembly complex.
The Clerk, Mohammed Omolori after reading the proclamation from President Muhammadu Buhari at exactly 10:00 announced the use of the 2015 Senate Rule which specifies the use of the secret ballot in electing presiding officers.
He rarely finished when supporters of Lawan began protesting, saying they would not accept the use of 2015 rule.
Prominent among those who led the protest are Sen. Solomon Adeola(APC-Lagos) and Sen. Barau Jibrin(APC-Kano).
Speaking, the clerk explained that he did not receive any court order stopping him for from using anything other than the 2015 rule.
He also told the protesting members that they did not “have any voice till after the election.
At that point, the Clerk of the Senate, Nelson Ayewoh took the roll call.
At the end of the roll call, 107 senators-elect were present for the election. Two seats from Imo state were declared vacant.
Thereafter nomination of candidates for president of the Senate was done to allow for the election proper.
Also, a former governor of Imo State Rochas Okorocha arrived National Assembly premises at 7:40.am on Tuesday ahead of the inauguration but was denied accreditation.
Okorocha, who was declared the winner of the Imo West Senatorial District, was not issued a certificate of return by INEC.
However, a federal high court in Abuja last week ordered that he be given his return certificate.
It was, however, gathered that Okorocha was not accredited by the National Assembly management to attend the inauguration.
It was not clear if INEC had complied with the court’s directive.(NAN)
