Akpabio announces vacancy of three senatorial positions

Senate President, Godswill Akpabio

* As Senate Confirms Magnus Abe as NUPRC Chairman, 2 others as Non-Executive Commissioners

By Henry Umoru

The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has declared three Senate Seats vacant.

Akpabio, who made the announcement during yesterday’s plenary, said the seats were declared vacant following the tragic loss of some members of the 10th Senate.

Recall that the three seats became vacant following the death of three Senators.

The three who died were Senators Okechukwu Ezea (Enugu North), Godiya Akwaashiki (Nasarawa North), and Barinada Mpigi (Rivers South East).

Akpabio said, “These unfortunate events necessitate the conduct of midterm elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to fill the affected seats.

“Accordingly, and in line with the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), I hereby declare the following senatorial seats vacant:

“Enugu State – Enugu North Senatorial District is hereby declared vacant. Nasarawa State – Nasarawa North Senatorial District is hereby declared vacant. Rivers State-Rivers South East Senatorial District is hereby declared vacant”.

Akpabio further said that: “In compliance with constitutional provisions, INEC is hereby mandated to conduct by-elections to fill these vacancies within the stipulated timeframe.

“The timeframe is approximately 30 days from the date of this declaration.

“May the souls of our departed colleagues rest in perfect peace”.

Meanwhile, the Senate has confirmed Senator Magnus Abe as chairman of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).

Also confirmed were Engineer Paul Yaro Jezhi, a former Trade Union Congress chairman in Kaduna State, and Mr Sunday Adebayo Babalola, a former deputy director at the defunct Department of Petroleum Resources. Both were nominated as non-executive commissioners.

The confirmation yesterday was a sequel to the consideration of the report presented by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream), Senator Jonah Eteng, APC, Cross River Central.

President Bola Tinubu had this month written to the Senate, seeking the screening and subsequent confirmation of Senator Abe and others.

Abe’s nomination was a result of the resignation of Gbenga Komolafe.