The All Progressives Congress (APC) on Wednesday attained overwhelming two-thirds majority in Senate.
This development followed the swearing in of Joseph Ikpea representing Edo Central and the defection of Senator Kelvin Chukwu from the Labour Party (LP) into the APC. Chukwu represented Enugu East.
APC Senators in the 10th Senate are now 73 with only 72 Senators are needed to pass any major decision or legislation in the Senate.
Other parties and their members in the Senate include the PDP – 28, LP – 4,
APGA two and SDP and NNPP with one each.
Also yesterday, Akpabio swore in Emmanuel Nwachukwu Chibuzor to represent Anambra South in the Senate on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
Both Ikpea and Chibuzor were declared winners of their respective senatorial districts during the by-election conducted to fill existing vacancies by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recently.
While Ikpea won the seat vacated by Senator Monday Okpebholo now the Governor of Edo State, Chibuzor secured the seat left vacant following the death of Senator Ifeanyi Ubah who hitherto represented the Anambra South.
The acting Clerk to the Senate, Emmanuel Odo, administered the oath of office and oath of allegiance on both Ikpea and Chibuzor after which both of them proceeded to shake hands with the Presiding Officer, Akpabio, and submitted their certificates of return issued to them by the INEC.
Dignitaries who witnessed the swearing-in session included the former Governor of Delta State, James Ibori, former Deputy Governor of Edo State and present Director General of the National Institute for Sports (NIS), Philip Shuaibu, and an elder brother to the Edo Central Senator, Dr. Lee Ikpea.
Akpabio in his remarks said that ranking senators in the chambers would continue to assist the new senators to get used to the nuances of proceedings of lawmaking.
He said: “I must say that we are giving you two items today. One is the Nigerian Constitution, which you must try to imbibe the contents.
“It’s not just a ceremony. It’s to let you know that that’s the ground law and that all authority in this hallowed chamber comes through the Nigerian Constitution.
“The second one that we are giving you, which you must start reading from today, is the Senate Standing Orders 2023 as amended.
“The contents will show you the proceedings because sometimes, if you are new and you come in, you may not know why we do certain things at certain times and if the Presiding Officer should tell you that you are ruled out of order, please don’t be angry.
“It’s because you have breached a section of the Standing Orders of the Senate and that’s what gives us discipline. That’s what gives us order. That’s what makes us distinguished. It distinguishes us from others.
“If you have been in the House of Assembly before, the Senate is slightly different because what is contained in what we are bringing you now is different from what you were used to. So please take time to go through it and God will guide you.”