By BEN AGANDE

ABUJA-The Senate yesterday said the decision to amend its rule to allow only ranking senators contest the position of presiding officers in the senate was neither targeted at an individual nor was it meant to shore up the chances of the senate president, Senator David Mark, in the contest of senate presidency.

Addressing senate correspondents, spokesman of the senate, Senator Ayogu Eze, said the decision to amend the senate rules was to strengthen the institution of the senate.

“I want to state categorically here that order 97 (1f) which is what the Senate is proposing to amend, is not essentially an amendment.

“That order on ranking exists there but we thought that there is a necessity for clarification of what the order meant. It is not meant to stop anybody from coming to the Senate or from aspiring,” he said.