The Senate adjourned, upon resumption from its two weeks Easter break, adjourned plenary over the recent deaths of two members of the National Assembly.
The upper chamber held a minute silence for the in honour of the deceased lawmakers who were members of the House of Representatives.
The decision to suspend the plenary was carried out in line with the tradition of the National Assembly, following a motion moved by the Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi, and seconded by the Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe.
Moving the motion, the Senate Leader said, “this Distinguished chamber and, to our Distinguished colleagues, the passing of two members of the National Assembly by names of Honourable Haruna Maitala, who until his demise represented Bassa/Jos North Federal Constituency of Plateau State, and who we lost on 2nd April 2021, in a ghastly motor accident.
“The second loss we suffered, was that of another Honourable member, Hon. Suleiman Aliyu Lere, representing Lere Federal Constituency from Kaduna State, whom we also lost on 6th April 2021.”
“Mr President, Distinguished Colleagues, I rise in accordance with our tradition, to move two motions: one for the suspension on all other items scheduled for consideration on the order paper today; [And] also another motion for this Distinguished chamber to observe one-minute silence in honour of the departed, I so move.”
The motion was unanimously supported by the legislators when put to a voice vote by Senate President, Ahmad Lawan.
Speaking about the tragic development, Lawan described the demise of the two lawmakers as “another sad development in the National Assembly”.
The Senate, thereafter, adjourned plenary till Wednesday, 14th April 2021.
