The agenda was prioritized based on the yearnings of Nigerians. Among some of the critical aspects of the 9th Senate’s legislative agenda was the much talked about Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), 2010 Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, and the  Amendment of the 1999 Constitution.

While unveiling the agenda, the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan specifically, disclosed that they are working on a National Assembly that works for the people.”

During the celebration of their second anniversary, Lawan said the Senate fared well and had passed the Deep Offshore and Inland Basin Production Sharing Contract (PSC) Amendment Bill among 58 others out of 742 bills introduced at that time.

He promised that the much talked about Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), 2010 Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill and the  Amendment of the 1999 Constitution will be passed in July before they go for their long recess.

On the first day of July 2021, the PIB was passed but not without drama and a call for a division.

While considering the bill clause-by-clause, a drama ensued when Sen Ahmed Babba- Kaita called for an amendment on page 240 of the 542-page document to reduce the proposed five percent of the actual annual operating expenses of the preceding financial year in the upstream petroleum operations for the host communities.

Although Sen James Manager (Delta North) opposed Kaita’s submission, he lost out in a voice vote despite Southern Senators’ support.

Feeling cheated by the voice voting, Sen George Sekibo (Rivers East) rose under order 73 of the Senate rule, calling for a division.

Sekibo’s call came after the deputy Senate president, Ovie Omo-Agege (Delta Central), had also lost in a voice vote the bid to ensure the oil-producing communities get the five percent as recommended by the committee.

If a Senator calls for division, the Clerk will call the members by their names to get their position on a matter in the event where compromise fails.

But the leader of the Senate, Yahaya Abdullahi (Kebbi North), said his heart was bleeding because he was experiencing what Sekibo was asking for the first time, adding that if Sekibo’s call succeeds, it would bring division in the Senate.

“My heart bleeds because we have not experienced what Sekibo is calling for. We just celebrated two years out of the four years in unity and it has been the envy of all our traducers.

“Such could cause division and disunity of the country. It is a call for armageddon,” Yahaya said, even as he pleaded with Sekibo to withdraw the order 73.

“In every parliament across the world, you get divergent ideas whether in terms of party or in terms of where people are coming from,” the Senate president Ahmad Lawan said while reacting to Sekibo’s call for division.

“What makes a parliament function well is how the parliamentarians can build bridges, make compromises and show understanding.

That is what makes the parliament works,” Lawan said even as he acknowledged it was the right of every Senator to call for division.

“It’s your right,” Lawan told Sekibo, but he appealed to him to withdraw order 73.

“What we have been educated by the GMD, gives us better ideas. What is of consolidation is that at least, the Senate did not pass 2.5 percent. They passed something slightly higher than 2.5 percent. But that is the reality and we are stuck with that.

“I want to appeal that, please Sen Sekibo, I will join the leader to appeal to you and all of us that we should not insist on dividing the Senate,” Lawan said.

But Sekibo, who said it was not a personal decision, added: “If you appeal to me on something that is personal and I did not take it, you will not be delighted but no, I will say something.

“What I’m asking for is not for me as a person but it is for the interest of the nation. Because when we pass a good law, we must also have a good environment to implement the law. If the environment is not conducive for implementation, we all come back. My appeal to you is that you increase the number (percentage) a little bit. I have withdrawn while appealing to you”, he added.

Haven passed the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB),  two other important bills are still pending. They are the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill and the Amendment of the 1999 Constitution.

Many believed that if the electoral act and the constitution amendments succeeded this July with relevant sections repeal to allow electronic voting and power devolution, and the president assented to it,  electoral malpractices and insecurity will be reduced drastically.