The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has declared a nationwide strike starting from next week Wednesday over withdrawal of fuel subsidy and the consequence hike in the price of fuel across the country. NLC President, Joe Ajaero, who made the announcement after an emergency meeting of the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) today , June 2′ in Abuja said that the government, particularly the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited had up until Wednesday next week to revert to the old price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) otherwise referred to as petrol. Ajaero said that failure of the Federal Government to meet the ultimatum would attract an indefinite protest across the country. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said during his inauguration on Monday in Abuja that the era of subsidy gone, adding that with the 2023 budget making no provision for fuel subsidy, further payment was no longer justifiable. He said that his government would instead, channel funds into infrastructure and other areas to strengthen the economy. The presidential pronouncement led to an almost instant resurgence of fuel queues across the country with Nigerians foraging for the premium product. Though Tinubu’s decision received backing from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and House of Representatives, it has since been resisted by the NLC and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC). According to the organised labour, the President cannot unilaterally take a decision on subsidy removal. TUC President, Festus Osifo, said that there was a reason the immediate past administration of Muhammadu Buhari pushed the “sensitive issue” to the new government.
Barely two weeks to the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly, there are inescapable signals of victory that points in favour of Honourable Tajudeen Abbas and Benjamin Kalu as lawmakers who will emerge as the two lead principal officers of the House of Representatives when the legislators meet to elect their leadership on 13th June, 2023.
While Abbas who hails from Kaduna State north central is seeking to be elected as the next Speaker, Kalu who represents Abia State southeast is contesting for the position of Deputy speaker in the Green Chamber.
At the center of the race for the next leadership of the National Assembly are issues of competence, ranking, and zoning, already agreed by the lawmakers as set criteria for the election of the principal officers to guarantee justice in terms of balancing the political equation of the country and ensure a peaceful tenure for the current administration.
With Bola Tinubu as Nigeria’s President from the South-west and his running mate, Kashim Shettima from North-east, the thinking of political stakeholders is that the presiding offices in the parliament should be shared among the remaining four geopolitical zones – a reason why Abbas and Kalu also threw their hats in the ring.
Bfore President Tinubu was sworn-in on 29th May, himself, and the APC leadership at a meeting, precisely on Monday May 8th this year, reportedly endorsed Abbas and Kalu as speaker and deputy speaker respectively. For the Senate, the party was said to have announced Senator-elect, Godswill Akpabio and Senator Barau Jibrin as preferred choices for Senate President and Deputy Senate President respectively. This development obviously ignited stiff opposition from a few ranking APC lawmakers who vowed to challenge the party’s decision.
As things stand, especially with the current Speaker of the House of Representatives Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, now appointed as Tinubu’s Chief of Staff (CoS), both Abbas and Kalu could be smiling home in strong hope for victory when the Green Chamber meets on June 13th. The reason is not far-fetched. They now have a dependable ally on the corridors of power to lobby and influence issues in their favour. At the vantage point and with presidential backing, the current speaker could seamlessly reach out to several colleagues, mobilize them, even across party lines to get their buy-in on the Abbas, Kalu project.
Reliable sources also confirm that President Tinubu’s handlers are not taking anything for granted in galvanizing support for these two lawmakers who remain the APC preferred choice. This is in realization that President Tinubu is already comfortable with the candidature of the duo whom he believes have noteworthy track records to lead the House in such a manner that will help achieve the objectives of his government’s “Renew Hope Agenda.”
When the two frontline candidates for the House of Representatives plum jobs met with President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa on Thursday, no one was left in doubt of their mission. After two hours of a closed-door session, the legislators told reporters that they were in the Villa to congratulate Tinubu on his inauguration as the 16th President of Nigeria.
Responding to specific questions on their ambition to lead the Green Chamber, Abbas explained that himself, Kalu, relevant stakeholders of caucuses in the House and the APC were working hard for unity of purpose. According to him, having served Nigerians in the ninth National Assembly which is the best that has had harmonious relationship with the executive arm of government, himself and Honourable Kalu intend to lead the 10th House in the interest of Nigerians to help address some national issues challenges such as insecurity facing the country. We have always had autonomy in the National Assembly and that will continue under our leadership,” Abbas noted.
A member of the House of Representatives who does not want to be quoted in print explains that aside presidential support, this is first time that opposition lawmakers are openly supporting a ruling party’s candidate in selection of leadership in the National Assembly. “It what has never happened in the history of the National Assembly. There is the joint task made up of members elect from all the eight political parties that will be in the 10th Assembly. Majority of these group is working to support Abbas and Kalu”, he added.
There is a group called the Minority Parties Forum – led by a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from Ebonyi State that is also drawing support for the APC’s preferred choice. This is another plus for the Abbas, Kalu team. Many lawmakers on the opposition side have also openly shown support for the Abbas, Kalu project. In the middle of the race, some candidates for the House contest withdrew from the race to support these two lawmakers, a further indication that they may have a smooth sail during the election on 13th June.
Fielding questions from reporters, Honourable Kalu said, his emergence and that of Abbas as leaders of the House of Representatives on 13th June will bring about balancing of the inequality that exists with the country. Nigerians should rest assured that innovation, transformation, and reforms are going to be introduced by us. We believe that nation building should a joint task involving the input of the executive and the contribution of the legislature,” he said.
Unlike former President Mohammadu Buhari who did not show interest in the composition of the 9th National Assembly leadership, President Tinubu, as a core politician and a parliamentarian himself, obviously seems to have taken the Abbas, Kalu ambition as his personal project and may only be working for their emergence behind the scenes.
Whether the election of Honourables Abbas and Kalu will further enhance the democratic principles of the separation of powers or not, is a question on the lips of many Nigerians as they await Tuesday 13th June when the lawmakers cast their ballot on the floor of the Green Chamber.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has named former Governor of Benue State and immediate past Minister of Special Duties, George Akume, as new Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF). The President also named the peaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila as his Chief of Staff and Senator Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia, a former Deputy Governor of Jigawa State, as Deputy Chief of Staff. The announcement of the officers was made at a meeting by the President, with Progressives Governors Forum (PGF) today, June 2, according to a statement by the Director, Information, Abiodun Oladunjoye.
The presidential election petition court has criticised the Labour Party (LP) and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, for exhibiting a lack of preparedness in the petition filed against the victory of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The court resumed the hearing of Peter Obi’s petition against Tinubu today , June 1, having adjourned the proceedings yesterday, due to the illness of two key staff of the petitioner. At the resumed court session today, one of the senior lawyers in the petitioners’ legal team, Emeka Okpoko, sought to tender electoral documents as exhibits before the court. The documents, however, were said to not have been properly filed and scheduled before the court. Consequently, the court stepped down the hearing for 10 minutes and asked the legal team to re-file the schedule of documents in line with the provisions of the pre-hearing report. But after the court reconvened, the petitioners’ legal team still seemed uncoordinated. Displeased, Haruna Tsammani, who led a five-member panel of the court, advised the petitioners to seek an adjournment to enable them properly arrange their documents. “What we have done today is a waste of time. I think you underrated the kind of job you have to do,” one of the justices said. Responding, Awa Kalu, another senior lawyer in the petitioners’ team, said they won’t be taking the adjournment suggested by the court. “I took an adjournment yesterday and I would not like to do that today,” Kalu said. Issues were later resolved and the petitioners tendered electoral documents (form EC8As) from six states. In the petition filed by Obi and the Labour Party, a total of 83 witnesses would be called by both the petitioners and the respondents. The petitioners indicated that they would call 50 witnesses, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) listed five witnesses, Tinubu and Shettima listed 21 witnesses and the APC listed seven witnesses. The court fixed May 30 to June 23 for Obi and LP to prove their case, June 24 to June 29 for INEC, and June 30 to July 5 for Tinubu and Shettima, while the APC would present its case between July 6 to July 10. August 5 is fixed for the adoption of final addresses. So far, only one witness has been called by the petitioners.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has vowed to reverse security misfortunes that have bedeviled Nigeria for a long time now and “turn the tide in our favour. “As far as I’m concerned, this country should not be on its knees struggling while other countries are walking and achieving greater heights.” Asíwájú Tinubu, in his first meeting with service chiefs, made up of leadership of the armed forces, the Inspector General of Police and intelligent community at the Presidential villa, Abuja today, June 1, said that in moving the country forward, he would count on the full support of the security agencies. The President, who appreciated and commended the level of commitment the security agencies have put up do far, asked them to redouble their efforts. The President also paid tribute to those who died in defending the country, from the great big menace of terrorism, insurgency, banditry, Oil theft, sea robbery, piracy and others. He said that his own philosophy is one of contemporary security measures dealing with the requirements of the time, saying that he will not accept a situation in which the nation’s fortunes keep declining. The president advised the national security to coordinate, adding: “there has to be wherever, whatever it says, whether it is a basket system, but there must be a clearing house. He asked the agencies to, a a matter of must, work to achieve one single purpose. “Working at cross purposes and colliding with each other is not something that I will condone.” He has made it very, very clear that all the security agencies must comply with the demands of coordination, with the demands of frequent consultations and also timely reports which must be acted on. President Tinubu declared that he would embark on a lot of reforms in terms of the security architecture, promising to take a closer look at the nation’s misfortunes in the maritime domain, focusing particularly on the issues of oil theft. “Wherever the problem is coming from it must be crushed as soon as possible.” He mandated the security agencies to come up with a blueprint on the best way to tackle all the security challenges. “And whatever changes will be made have to be done as soon as possible.” He directed soldiers in the theater of battle must be well fed, well kitted, motivated and given all that they require, saying that he would do whatever is within his powers to enable the operational elements perform to the fullest. He asked the intelligence agencies to make their work easy for them by providing the type of intelligence that they require to carry out the assignment.
The Senate President, Ahmed Lawal has boasted that no National Assembly since the beginning of democracy in the country has performed more than the ninth Assembly he has been presiding as chairman. Answering reporters’ questions at the Presidential villa, Abuja today, June 1, Senator Lawal said: “we have been productive, much more productive than any National Assembly. We have worked very closely with the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, and of course, that helped the administration also.” The Senate President prayed that the 10th National Assembly would go through a peaceful transition and continue to unite everybody in the National Assembly. “We want to have a leadership in the senate that will unite senators to work so well, regardless of their political parties, the same thing in the House of Representatives.” Senator Lawal who said that he had no ambition of running for the Presidency of the 10th Senate, said that he regarded it as responsibility to the Senate, the National Assembly to ensure that functional leadership is put in place. According to him, for 24 years now, this is the time 70 percent of members in the National Assembly, especially in the Senate are new, saying: “those of us who have been there longer, owe everybody that responsibility to at least, help to mentor those who are new, if we are not going to be presiding officers or principal positions. “I don’t really wish to be one. I have played my part and I am happy that we have played our part; we have made positive impact but of course, we have had our fair share of shortcomings but I can hold my head high on behalf of all my colleagues in the Senate and the National Assembly that this National Assembly have contributed to national development in no mean measure and have succeeded in getting very critical legislation passed and assented to by the former President.”
Youths, claiming to be working on the instruction of Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, are harassing private motorists in Lokoja, capital of Kogi State. They force the unsuspecting motorists, especially private car owners to pay between N36,000 and N38,000 before they are allowed to continue their journey. Information gathered showed that the youths, who operate apparently under the influence of intoxicants, line up the express way, on Lokoja by-pass in large number, stopping and asking drivers of cars that are passing to the East and those passing to Abuja, to pay the money. One of the victims, who happens to be the Editor-In-Chief of Greenbarge Reporters online newspaper and hardcopy magazine, Y O. Usman was forced to pay the sum of N35,500 on May 25, into the Union Bank of Nigeria, on the account belonging to one Abubakar Mohammed Tenimu for vague charges. The receipt issued to him by the youths who were obviously high on drugs reads: “received from DBT – 3+2 GN, the sum of thirty five thousand five hundred naira, being payment for Emblem Stickers, State and Local Government papers for the year 2023.” The receipt has as it’s title”Local Government Council, Kogi State,” and is subtitled MOBILE ADVERT REVENUE. The Greenbarge Reporters online newspaper boss, who was traveling with his wife, identified himself as a private motorist and a Journalist, but the youths would not listen. One of them said: “it is your brother that put us here to be collecting the money for the state government. There’s no exception.”
While Usman was still trying to make them understand that as a private motorist, no law that compels him to pay any revenue, they made to remove the plate number of the Sienna car he was driving. They threatened that they would take the car to their office thereby leaving him and his wife stranded. After being forced to pay the money, he was handed with several papers, receipts, stickers and pamphlets all of which are meant for commercial vehicles and trailers. The documents were enclosed in a file which is titled: “National File Coverage, Mobile Advert Operators of Nigeria, in conjunction with Bushara Global Concept Solution…2023 Annual Mobile Advert Permit.” The revenue, according to the file, is for Hackney permit, Gaseous Emission, Signage, Driver/Conductor Badge, Mobile Waste Basket for State Government and Mobile Advert Permit, Loading and Offloading permit, Environmental sanitation/Waste Disposal permit and Radio/TV permit for Local Government. This was even as another victim, wife of the retired senior manager at the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mohammed Amuju was similar harassed and forced to pay N36,000 before she was allowed to drive pass Lokoja.
Chairman of the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Alhaji Sadiq Abubakar also narrated how the same set of youths stopped him in Lokoja, demanding the payment of N38,000. “When I identified myself as chairman of Road Transport Owners, they (the youths) allowed me to pass, but still asked me to give them something, and I gave them N5,000.” Alhaji Sadiq, who is a traditional title holder of Onobobanyi, said that he was not aware of any legal framework under which the rampaging Youths in Lokoja are operating. Reacting to the development in a telephone chat, the officer in charge of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) branch, Ebele Nwokocha, popularly known as General, expressed shock that the youths in Lokoja have turned a well thought-out unified revenue generating venture into attacking private motorists that are passing through the town. The programme, he said, is a joint venture between the 366 local government councils of the country and private firm to stop double taxation for commercial vehicles, including trailers and other heavy duty vehicles. “The programme has nothing to do with private motorists, and any of the boys who collect money from private motorist in the name of the programme is committing illegality.” He promised to investigate the matter, saying “I will get to the bottom of this matter.”
Immediate past Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo (SAN), has said that it is not the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, that ordered the removal of fuel subsidy. Keyamo, who served as Director of Media and Publicity to All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council, in a statement on his Twitter handle, said that it is a section of the press that mischievously twisted what the President said during his inaugural address on May 29, 2023. “A section of the Press is mischievously twisting the narrative to read that TINUBU’s GOVERNMENT HAS REMOVED SUBSIDY. “That is NOT CORRECT. “TINUBU’s govt has merely inherited a regime where there was no provision for subsidy in the 2023 Appropriation Act as from June, 2023 and the Petroleum Industry Act which is now extant has no provision for subsidy. President Tinubu merely acknowledged this state of affairs in his inaugural speech at the Eagle Square. “So any advocate of subsidy should convince the Nigerian people why President Tinubu should start on a note of illegality by promising to reintroduce something which the law has taken away. “They should also convince the Nigerian people why President Tinubu should embark on a present illegality that gulped $10 billion of our scarce or unavailable resources in 2022 alone. Those claiming to defend the right or welfare of workers should convince the Nigerian people that $10 billion injected into the economy yearly will not jumpstart the economy enough as to create massive jobs and even increase the same minimum wage they complain about. “That is the conversation the Nigerian people are prepared to have now.”
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has described as outright Falsehood, news making the rounds that it had devalued Naira against dollar. “The attention of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has been drawn to a news report by Daily Trust Newspaper of June 1, 2023, titled “CBN Devalues Naira To 630/$1.” A statement by the spokesperson of the apex Bank, Dr.Isa AbdulMumin said that the said news report, “is replete with outright FALSEHOODS.” Dr. Isa said that the news is in the imagination of the newspaper, and that it is destabilizing innuendo, reflecting potentially willful ignorance of the medium as to the workings of the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market. “For the avoidance of doubt, the exchange rate at the Investors’ & Exporters’ (I&E) window traded this morning (June 1, 2023) at N465/US$1 and has been stable around this rate for a while.” The CBN spokesperson asked members of the public “to ignore the news report by Daily Trust in its entirety, as it is speculative and calculated at causing panic in the market.” He called on the practitioners to verify their facts from the CBN before publishing in order not to misinform the public.
“We know the consequences of unveiling a masquerade. We will get fierce opposition from those benefitting from the oil subsidy scam.” Vice President Kashim Shettima made this statement today, May 30, when he officially assumed office at the Presidential villa, Abuja. According to the Vice President, in 2022, Nigeria spent $10 billion subsidizing “the ostentatious lifestyle of the upper class of the society.” He said that people in the upper class benefitted 90 percent from the oil subsidy, while poor 40 percent of Nigerians benefitted very little. “The truth of the matter is that it is either we get rid of subsidy or the fuel subsidy gets rid of the Nigerian nation.” He expressed confidence that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is prepared to face the challenges involved in the removal of the subsidy, saying: “where where there is a will, there is a way. “Be rest assured that our president is a man of strong will and conviction. In the fullness of time, you will appreciate his noble intentions for the nation. “The issue of fuel subsidy will be frontally addressed. The earlier we do so, the better.” Vice President Shettima said that the multiple exchange rates would be collapsed into one. “So, these are two big elephants in the room and as the days go by, we will be unveiling our agenda. He is going to unveil his agenda because as I have always said, there can never be two captains in a ship. “He is the President and Commander-In-Chief of the armed forces. “I am the vice president. Your relevance is directly proportional to the level of your loyalty to the president. “This is a gentleman that I have known for well over a decade; that I have interacted closely with, be rest assured that we are going to work harmoniously as a team, as a family for the greater good of our nation.” The Vice President paraphrased the late John F. Kennedy’s words: “to some generations much is given; to other generations much is expected, saying: “I believe this generation has a rendezvous with destiny and my principal, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is poised to redefine the meaning and concept of modern governance. “I want to assure Nigerians that he is going to provide the lead. “He is going to provide the leadership and we will rally round him, give him our unequivocally support and loyalty to see to the realization of the Nigerian dream—a Nigeria where every black man in the world should be proud of.” Shettima said that power is all about “how we can make life better for the common man. So, i want to assure our countrymen that President Bola Tinubu will, by the grace of God, catapult this nation to a higher pedestal. “He is determined; he has the skills set; he has the temperament; the disposition and the purity of mind and commitment to give service to this nation.”
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The presidential election petition court has criticised the Labour Party (LP) and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, for exhibiting a lack of preparedness in the petition filed against the victory of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has vowed to reverse security misfortunes that have bedeviled Nigeria for a long time now and “turn the tide in our favour.
While Usman was still trying to make them understand that as a private motorist, no law that compels him to pay any revenue, they made to remove the plate number of the Sienna car he was driving.
Chairman of the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Alhaji Sadiq Abubakar also narrated how the same set of youths stopped him in Lokoja, demanding the payment of N38,000.
Why Odds Favour Abbas, Kalu As 10Th Reps Speaker, Deputy
Barely two weeks to the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly, there are inescapable signals of victory that points in favour of Honourable Tajudeen Abbas and Benjamin Kalu as lawmakers who will emerge as the two lead principal officers of the House of Representatives when the legislators meet to elect their leadership on 13th June, 2023.
While Abbas who hails from Kaduna State north central is seeking to be elected as the next Speaker, Kalu who represents Abia State southeast is contesting for the position of Deputy speaker in the Green Chamber.
At the center of the race for the next leadership of the National Assembly are issues of competence, ranking, and zoning, already agreed by the lawmakers as set criteria for the election of the principal officers to guarantee justice in terms of balancing the political equation of the country and ensure a peaceful tenure for the current administration.
With Bola Tinubu as Nigeria’s President from the South-west and his running mate, Kashim Shettima from North-east, the thinking of political stakeholders is that the presiding offices in the parliament should be shared among the remaining four geopolitical zones – a reason why Abbas and Kalu also threw their hats in the ring.
Bfore President Tinubu was sworn-in on 29th May, himself, and the APC leadership at a meeting, precisely on Monday May 8th this year, reportedly endorsed Abbas and Kalu as speaker and deputy speaker respectively. For the Senate, the party was said to have announced Senator-elect, Godswill Akpabio and Senator Barau Jibrin as preferred choices for Senate President and Deputy Senate President respectively. This development obviously ignited stiff opposition from a few ranking APC lawmakers who vowed to challenge the party’s decision.
As things stand, especially with the current Speaker of the House of Representatives Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, now appointed as Tinubu’s Chief of Staff (CoS), both Abbas and Kalu could be smiling home in strong hope for victory when the Green Chamber meets on June 13th. The reason is not far-fetched. They now have a dependable ally on the corridors of power to lobby and influence issues in their favour. At the vantage point and with presidential backing, the current speaker could seamlessly reach out to several colleagues, mobilize them, even across party lines to get their buy-in on the Abbas, Kalu project.
Reliable sources also confirm that President Tinubu’s handlers are not taking anything for granted in galvanizing support for these two lawmakers who remain the APC preferred choice. This is in realization that President Tinubu is already comfortable with the candidature of the duo whom he believes have noteworthy track records to lead the House in such a manner that will help achieve the objectives of his government’s “Renew Hope Agenda.”
When the two frontline candidates for the House of Representatives plum jobs met with President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa on Thursday, no one was left in doubt of their mission. After two hours of a closed-door session, the legislators told reporters that they were in the Villa to congratulate Tinubu on his inauguration as the 16th President of Nigeria.
Responding to specific questions on their ambition to lead the Green Chamber, Abbas explained that himself, Kalu, relevant stakeholders of caucuses in the House and the APC were working hard for unity of purpose. According to him, having served Nigerians in the ninth National Assembly which is the best that has had harmonious relationship with the executive arm of government, himself and Honourable Kalu intend to lead the 10th House in the interest of Nigerians to help address some national issues challenges such as insecurity facing the country. We have always had autonomy in the National Assembly and that will continue under our leadership,” Abbas noted.
A member of the House of Representatives who does not want to be quoted in print explains that aside presidential support, this is first time that opposition lawmakers are openly supporting a ruling party’s candidate in selection of leadership in the National Assembly. “It what has never happened in the history of the National Assembly. There is the joint task made up of members elect from all the eight political parties that will be in the 10th Assembly. Majority of these group is working to support Abbas and Kalu”, he added.
There is a group called the Minority Parties Forum – led by a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from Ebonyi State that is also drawing support for the APC’s preferred choice. This is another plus for the Abbas, Kalu team. Many lawmakers on the opposition side have also openly shown support for the Abbas, Kalu project. In the middle of the race, some candidates for the House contest withdrew from the race to support these two lawmakers, a further indication that they may have a smooth sail during the election on 13th June.
Fielding questions from reporters, Honourable Kalu said, his emergence and that of Abbas as leaders of the House of Representatives on 13th June will bring about balancing of the inequality that exists with the country. Nigerians should rest assured that innovation, transformation, and reforms are going to be introduced by us. We believe that nation building should a joint task involving the input of the executive and the contribution of the legislature,” he said.
Unlike former President Mohammadu Buhari who did not show interest in the composition of the 9th National Assembly leadership, President Tinubu, as a core politician and a parliamentarian himself, obviously seems to have taken the Abbas, Kalu ambition as his personal project and may only be working for their emergence behind the scenes.
Whether the election of Honourables Abbas and Kalu will further enhance the democratic principles of the separation of powers or not, is a question on the lips of many Nigerians as they await Tuesday 13th June when the lawmakers cast their ballot on the floor of the Green Chamber.