MORE than two weeks after the Senate caucus of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) i removed Ali Ndume as leader, Senate President, Bukola Saraki, named him as new chairman of the committee on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The announcement was made at about 2.55pm, few minutes after lawmakers concluded Day Three of the debate on the N7.29 trillion 2017 budget.
Saraki, who presided at plenary, made the announcement.
There was also a minor reshuffling, while new Senators who were recently sworn-in, clinched committee chairmanship positions.
Senator Magnus Abe from Rivers State, who recently won a keenly-contested rerun election, was named to head a new Committee on Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA).
In the Seventh Senate, Abe chaired the Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream).
Another Rivers Senator, George Sekibo, was named chairman of the committee on Interior.
The committee has been without a head since the exit of its former chairman, Olaka Nwogu, also from Rivers State.
In the Seventh Sernate, Sekibo headed the Defence and Army Committee.
Senator Atai Idoko, another returning members, who was sworn-in towards the end of 2016 and represents Kogi East senatorial district, will head another new committee, Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
Senator Abubakar Kyari, who hitherto, chaired the Committee on INEC, was named by Saraki to head the Defence committee.
Senate Leader, Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan, until his appointment, headed the Defence committee.
The last reshuffle of committee leadership in the Senate was in October, 2016.
Last year, Senator Oluremi Tinubu was made substantive chairman of the Committee on Environment.
Ranking Senator, Kabir Marafa, was also appointed chairman of the Committee on Petroleum (Downstream) last October
With the announcement of new committee heads, the total number of committee chairmen in the Senate now stands at 68, from an earlier 66.
