Abuja — The Senate on Tuesday amended its standing orders to stop first time senators from contesting the position of either the Senate President or the Deputy Senate President.

The amendment was sequel to a motion sponsored by the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele.

The upper legislative chamber also amended its rules to accommodate the creation of additional nine standing committees.

The amended rule stipulates that any senator that is contesting for the position of the Senate President and Deputy Senate President must have spent a minimum of one term in the Senate.

The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the amendment of the Senate standing orders after majority of the senators supported it through voice vote at plenary.

The motion was earlier considered and passed at the Committee of the Whole.

Majority of the senators also supported the motion when it was raised at plenary.

Bamidele, while presenting the motion on amendment of the senate standing order, explained that there were a number of rules that required amendment in order to give legislative support to more committees.

He also said the amendment notice had been circulated to the senators in accordance with the existing Order 109 Rule 2 of the Senate standing orders.

The Senate therefore subsequently amended its rules to create additional committees.

The new committees are Committee on Atomic and Nuclear Energy; Committee on Federal Capital Territory Area Council and Auxiliary Matters; Committee on Federal Capital Territory and Committee on Sports Development.

Others are Committee on Youth and Community Engagement; Committee on Mines and Steel Development, Committee on Tourism and Committee on Culture and Creative Economy.

The Senate President had shortly before the senators proceeded on their annual recess in August, announced the composition of 74 standing committees.

Some senators who did not vote for him during the inauguration of the 10th Senate had said the arrangement was lopsided.