Results of the senatorial election of February 23, 2019 and subsequent re-run elections have shown that about 64 serving senators and 151 members of the House of Representatives will not be returning to the National Assembly on June 10 when the 9th Assembly will be inaugurated.
According to the results of the elections released so far by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), only 45 senators and about 209 members of House of Representatives will be returning to the National Assembly.
This is just as 15 of the newly elected senators are former state governors while 42 of the 64 non-returning senators could not get their party’s’ tickets in October last year at their respective primaries. The remaining 22 lost at the February 23 National Assembly election.
The former governors coming to the 9th senate include Orji Kalu (Abia North), Theodore Orji (Abia Central), Kashim Shettima (Borno central, APC), Sam Egwu (Ebonyi north), Gabriel Suswan (Benue), Danjuma Goje (Gombe central), Ibikunle Amosu (Ogun central), Chimaroke Nnamani (Enugu east), Ibrahim Shekarau (Kano central), Tanko Al-Makura (Nassarawa south), Adamu Abdullahi (Nassarawa north), Aliyu Wammakko ( Sokoto north), Ibrahim Geidam (Yobe east), Abdul’Aziz Yari (Zamfara west) and Adamu Aliero (Kebbi central). It may be up to 16 if INEC eventually declares Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State as senator-elect.
From the list released so far by the electoral body, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has 66 senators-elect, while the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has only 41. Another political party, the Young Progressives Party (YPP) has one senator-elect.
One of the recurring decimal with respect to elections of senators by various constituencies in the country since 2003 is the low turn-over of the lawmakers in the National Assembly. More fresh senators than returning members have been the order of the day.
Recall that in 2015, 79 Senators couldn’t return to the red chamber, only 30 returned. But the 64 is an improvement. From the 42 senators that lost out during the primaries, few of them did not contest for reelection, while many of them went into the contest but lost.
Another determinant of what to expect in the National Assembly is that, although APC has a comfortable majority of 66 senators, as against the 61 overall senators it got in 2015, the ruling party still lacks the two-thirds majority, which is 73 senators to pass major legislation.
PDP has 41 senators against the 48 it got in 2015, while YPP has one, which to larger extent would make the PDP a very beautiful bride the presidency needs to court most of the time to be able to pass major legislation.
For the House of Representatives, the number of non-returning lawmakers represents 40% of the 360-member chamber. So far the APC has over 210 members, while the PDP got over 100.
However, several senators that made the 8th senate thick have been rejected by their constituencies and fallen in the battle to secure a place in the 9th senate.
While Senate President Bukola Saraki who has been in the senate since 2011 lost to Ibrahim Yahaya Oloriegbe of the APC; former Senate minority leader, Godswill Akpabio also lost his return bid when he was defeated by Christopher Ekpenyong of PDP.
Also, former Benue governor, George Akume, who has been at the Senate since 2007, lost to a serving member of the House of Reps, Emmanuel Yisa Orker-Jev.
Senate Minority Leader, Biodun Olujimi also lost to former PDP Publicity Secretary, Dayo Adeyeye of the APC; just as two governors Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo state and Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo of Gombe state contested to come to the Senate but lost. But five of the 15 governors coming to 9th senate are currently serving their second terms, which will end on May 29. They are Geidam, Almakura, Shettima, Yari, and Amosun.
In what may make defection from one political party to the other among the senators during the tenure of 9th senate is the disastrous experience of the 15 senators who defected from APC to PDP on Tuesday, July 24, 2018. Except one of them, Dino Melaye, the 14 others will not be part of 9th Assembly.
The APC defector senators are Dino Melaye (Kogi), Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Lanre Tejuoso (Ogun), Shaaba Lafiagi (Kwara), Rafiu Ibrahim (Kwara), Barnabas Gemade (Benue), Abdulazeez Nyako (Adamawa), Monsurat Sunmonu (Oyo), Usman Nafada( Gombe), Suleiman Hunkuyi (Kaduna), Ibrahim Danbaba (Sokoto), Ubale Shittu (Jigawa), Isah Misau (Bauchi), Suleiman Nazif (Bauchi) and Bukola Saraki (Kwara).mEven Senator Shehu Sani (Kaduna south), who in October joined Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), three days after he left the APC having been denied ticket to re-contest was also voted out.
Meanwhile, many senators who variously crossed to APC from PDP also lost out in the last elections. They include Senators Nelson Effiong (Akwa Ibom South), Yele Omogunwa (Ondo South), Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom NorthWest), Andy Uba (Anambra South), Fatima Raji Rasaki (Ekiti Central). Others are Senator John Enoh (Cross River Central), Sunny Ogborji (Ebonyi whatever).
It is becoming crystal clear that, at least 10 senators will now be qualified to be called ‘ranking members’. This is because they will be returning to the upper chamber for their third, fourth or fifth term, respectively.
They include the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu (Enugu west, PDP), who will be returning to the upper chamber for his fifth term.
Senator James Manager (Delta south, PDP) is a ranking senator for the 5th term. The lawmaker, who is the chairman of the Senate Committee on Solid Minerals, has sponsored a number of bills including the bill for the Establishment of Nigerian Maritime University.He has also been vocal on the floor of the Senate as he has contributed to several motions.
Senator Kabiru Gaya (Kano south, APC) will be a ranking 4th-term senator who has being in the Senate since 2007. He was the Senate deputy minority whip from 2007 to 2011. He had declared to contest for Deputy Senate President when the 9th senate is inaugurated on June 10.
Senator Ahmed Lawan (Yobe north, APC), will be another ranking, 4th-term senator. He has been in the National Assembly since 2007 and is currently the Senate leader. Lawan, who lost to Saraki in the contest for senate president in 2015 has declared to re-contest for the senate president when the 9th senate is inaugurated on June 10.
Senator Oluremi Tinubu’s return to the Senate will make it her third term in the chamber. Mrs Tinubu, who is the former first lady of Lagos State (during Bola Tinubu’s reign as governor of the state), was first elected in 2011 to represent Lagos Central.
She is currently the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and has sponsored a number of bills including Social Security for Elderly Citizens Bill and a bill seeking a special status and federal grant for Lagos State – which was, however, rejected by the Senate.
Senator Ajayi Boroffice’s return to the ninth Senate will make it his third term in the upper chamber. He was first elected in 2011 to represent Ondo North Senatorial District under the platform of the Labour Party. He later decamped to the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in 2011 and then moved again to his current party, APC.
He has made positive contributions of the floor of the Senate by sponsoring bills like Nigerian Council for Food Science and Technology Bill. He is currently the chairman of the Senate committee on Science and Technology.
Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume is a ranking two-term senator representing Borno South Senatorial District. He was first elected in 2011, although he was two-term Reps member before then. The 9th Senate will, therefore, make it his third term in the upper chamber.
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Ndume was made the Senate Leader of the 8th National Assembly but was removed on January 10, 2017.He was suspended in March of the same year for six months by the Senate committee on ethics and privileges for calling for a probe into the allegations of an imported bulletproof range rover with fake documents allegedly involving Senate President Bukola Saraki, seized by the Nigerian Customs. Ndume is an ardent supporter of President Buhari and was ever willing to promote and support any executive bills on the floor of the Senate.
Ndume who lost to Ekweremadu in the contest for deputy senate president seat in 2015 is a serious contender for senate president seat contest when the 9th senate is inaugurated on June 10.
Senator Danjuma Goje (Gombe central, APC) who was a two terms governor of Gombe State under the PDP from 2003 to 2011, joined the senate in 2011. Having served two terms in the upper chamber Goje will be returning for a third term. Goje is also eyeing the seat of the senate president, when election into it comes on June 10
Senator Abdullahi Adamu, also a former two-term governor of Nasarawa State from 1999 to 2007 under the platform of the PDP, Adamu’s return to the 9th senate will be his third. He was first elected into the upper chamber to represent Nasarawa West Senatorial District in 2011 with the PDP ticket. He is roundly touted as also a big contender for senate president seat in the 9th senate.
Senator Emmanuel Bwacha is a ranking two-term senator who was first elected in 2011 to represent Taraba South Senatorial District under the platform of the PDP. His victory in the recent polls means he will return for a third term. He is currently the deputy Senate minority leader.
Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South) will return to the Senate as for the fourth term in the upper chamber under the PDP platform.
Senators Standing Trial For Corruption
Meanwhile, some of the newly elected lawmakers have been accused of corruption.
Chimaroke Nnamani, a former Governor of Enugu state won the Enugu East Senatorial election after he got a total of 128,843 votes. Nnamani was accused of diverting over N5b while he was Governor of Enugu state. His case was later dismissed by the Federal High Court in Lagos state in 2018, due to what it described as lack of proper charges.
Ifeanyi Ubah is the owner of Capital Oil and Gas and is reportedly being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for allegedly receiving over N42b under false pretenses.
The anti-graft agency accused Ubah and his company of carrying out through the oil subsidy scheme. The oil magnate won the Anambra South Senatorial seat on the platform of the Young Progressive Party (YPP).
Orji Uzor Kalu, a former Governor of Abia state and a chieftain of the APC will be representing the Abia North senatorial district. He defeated his closest contender from the PDP, Mao Ohuabunwa on Saturday, February 23, 2019 to get a seat in the Senate.
Kalu has been accused of siphoning money through a company which he allegedly owns, Slok Nigeria Ltd. He was arraigned first in 2007, and in 2018, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) filed a new charge against him accusing him of N7.7b fraud.
Gabriel Suswam, a former governor of Benue state was granted a bail in the sum of N500m after he was arraigned for illegal possession of firearms.
Suswam and some of his aides were accused of diverting N9.79 billion while he served as Governor; just as the Federal Government slammed him with a 32-count charge and also accused him of “conspiracy, conversion of property derived directly from corruption; collaboration to conceal property derived from corruption; obtaining by false pretense and accepting cash payments, exceeding the amount authorized by law.”
Suswam, who is a member of the PDP will be representing the Benue North Senatorial District.
Stella Oduah, a former minister of aviation, will be returning to the 9th Senate after she got 113,989 votes to defeat her closest contender, a candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
She was accused of diverting over N12b meant for the installation of security devices at 22 airports across the country, just as she was accused of awarding dubious contracts worth N9.4b by the EFCC. Oduah has not been arraigned yet, but she has pleaded not guilty to the allegations.
Aliyu Wamakko, former Governor of Sokoto state who will be representing Sokoto north is being investigated for allegedly stealing N15b while he was in power, which he has constantly denied.
Danjuma Goje, former Governor of Gombe state was arraigned by the EFCC, following allegations that he stole N25b while in office. However, he was discharged and acquitted by a Federal High Court sitting in Jos last week. But EFCC is yet to react on whether it is appealing the judgement.
Goje, a member of the ruling APC will be representing Gombe Central Senatorial district is a big contender in expected contest for the senate president’s seat in the 9th senate.
Senator Abdullahi Adamu (Nassarawa west), former Nasarawa state Governor and chieftain of the APC was reportedly arrested in 2010 by the EFCC for allegedly siphoning N15b. He is also expected to file out in the contest for the senate president seat.
Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu (Enugu west) is alleged to have acquired choice properties in Abuja, London, the United States and the United Arab Emirates. He was interrogated by the EFCC on the allegation in 2018.
The Okoi-Obon-Obla-led presidential panel had on March 21, 2018, filed an ex parte motion seeking an order of interim forfeiture of the 22 houses pending the conclusion of the investigation of the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekeremadu’s failure to declare the properties as part of his assets.
The panel, through its lawyer, Mr. Festus Keyamo (SAN), had, in the ex parte motion, stated that “preliminary investigation by the applicant revealed that a prima facie case of a breach of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers has been made out against the respondent (Ekweremadu).”
The panel said Ekweremadu acquired the houses between 2007 and 2015, but failed to declare in June 2007 and June 2015, including nine in Abuja, two in London, the United Kingdom, eight in Dubai, the United Arab Emirate and three in Florida, the United States
The chairman of the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property, Chief Okoi Obono-Obla, on Monday December 17, 2018 announced that he has submitted 29 names of persons to the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) because they are banned from traveling abroad over pending corruption cases.
Obono-Obla who disclosed this at the media briefing, added that the 29 people are banned from traveling until their cases are determined, saying his action was premised on the Executive Order 6 signed by president Muhammadu Buhari
Although Obla didn’t mention names of the 29 people said to be banned from traveling abroad, instead he gave names of those he said his committee is investigating for corruption and that they include: Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, Senator Hope Uzodimma and the former Senate President David Mark.
Certainly, the corruption baggage of most of the senators will weigh heavily on their vibrancy and exhibiting fierce reaction against administrative misconduct of the executive for fear that EFCC might be unleashed on them.
Besides, it will take many of them much time to learn the ropes since majority of the senators are greenhorns or first timers.
