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  • N’Assembly shifts plenary resumption over election postponement

    The National Assembly on Sunday shifted its resumption date earlier scheduled for 19th February 2019.

    According to a statement by the Clerk to the National Assembly, Mohammed Sani-Omolori, Senators and House of Representatives members will now resume plenary on February 26, 2019.

    Omolori said that the shift on the date of resumption of plenary  was informed by the postponement of the Presidential and National Assembly elections which is now to take place on Saturday February 23, 2019.

    Read also: Poll Shift: INEC retrieves sensitive materials from LGs in Plateau

    The statement read “This is to inform all Distinguished Senators and Honourable members that resumption of plenary session earlier scheduled for Tuesday 19th February, 2019 has been postponed to Tuesday 26th February, 2019 due to the postponement of the national elections.

    “All Distinguished Senators and Honourable members are expected to resume plenary session by 10 am on the 26th February, 2019.”

  • SERAP threatens to sue Fed Govt over postponement of 2019 elections

    Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has said that successive governments since the return of democracy in 1999 and the leadership of the National Assembly should be held responsible for the postponement of the 2019 general elections now re-scheduled for Saturday.

     “Given the increasing tendency to postpone elections and the cumulative failures and corruption over the years, SERAP would, after the elections, pursue appropriate legal action against the government in power and the National Assembly leadership for the catalogue of breaches of constitutional and international obligations, and seek effective remedies for the citizens.”

    The organization promised to deploy the Freedom of Information Act to seek information on details of spending by INEC since 1999, as part of our initiatives to improve transparency and accountability of governmental operations and promote respect for citizens’ right to participate in the processes of government and governance in the country.”

    In a statement issued on Sunday and signed by SERAP Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organization said postponement of Nigeria’s elections since 2007 has  shown a systemic failure of leadership at the highest level of government.

    It regretted that our electoral process is deliberately skewed in favour of politicians’ interests, who continue to profit from the corruption and impunity that have characterised the process since 1999, and against those of the citizens.

    According to the organization: “Calling for the resignation of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu rather than addressing the root causes of persistent postponement of elections is a blatant attempt by politicians to scapegoat the electoral commission.”

    The statement read in part: “While the INEC leadership ought to proactively push for reform of the electoral system, successive governments and leadership of the National Assembly that have the legal responsibility but have remained largely impervious to revolutionary change of the electoral system, should be held to account for this fundamental breach of public trust.

    “Foisting outdated electoral system on Nigerians, and spending huge public funds to sustain it, seems in uneasy tension with constitutional provisions and Nigeria’s international obligations including under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance to which Nigeria is a state party.

    “Rather than prioritising genuine and comprehensive reforms of the electoral system that would upgrade and modernize our voting processes, successive governments and leadership of the National Assembly would seem to prefer the status quo, presumably to undermine citizens’ right to participation and to continue to profit from the corruption and impunity that the current system and processes breed.

    “It is clear that the current electoral process is vulnerable to corruption but politicians would seem to have little incentive to comprehensively reform, upgrade and modernise it. It is unlikely that either the federal government or the National Assembly would take the steps necessary to sort out our electoral system, and improve transparency, accountability and integrity of the electoral process”.

    SERAP therefore urged Nigerians to take more active role in the fight against corruption, including by putting pressure on the authorities at the federal and state levels and the National Assembly to comprehensively reform, upgrade and modernize our electoral system and processes adding “otherwise, citizens’ right to participate in the governance system will remain a ‘hollow right’.”

    “Given that the right to vote is considered a part of an individual’s fundamental right to political participation, persistent postponement of elections in the country raises serious questions about the legitimacy and integrity of Nigeria’s fledgling democracy.”

    “Persistent failure to upgrade and modernize the electoral system has effectively relegated the right of participation to paper tiger status, undermining the ability of citizens to genuinely participate in the fight against corruption and to hold their leaders to account. Yet, a transparent, accountable and modernized electoral process is a prerequisite to the effective exercise of citizenship in a democratic society.”

    “No right is more precious in a democratic country than that of having a voice in the election of those who represent us. That voice is not lost when the electoral process is skewed in favour of politicians’ interests and against the Nigerian voters. Other rights, even the most basic, are illusory if the right to vote is undermined by the collective failure to upgrade and modernize the country’s electoral processes.”

    The organization said now is the time to push for revolutionary changes in how Nigeria conducts its elections. The changes should effectively deploy modern technology, which has been successfully used in the business and other sectors in the country. Such changes may include the introduction of a national system of Internet voting, to innovative ideas on how to adapt the election systems to facilitate participation by different sectors of the population, to conform with twenty-first century elections.”

  • Election: Don’t be deterred, Saraki tells Nigerians

    The President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, on Saturday said the last minute postponement of the Presidential and National Assembly elections caused a great inconvenience to many Nigerians.

    Saraki made this known in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu.

    He, however, appealed to Nigerians not to be discouraged by the rescheduling, but to remain determined to cast their votes for their preferred candidates.

    The Senate President expressed disappointment that after preparations by the electoral commission, security services and other agencies of government, issues of logistics and related matters were said to be responsible for postponing the elections.

    “Waiting till just a few hours to commencement of voting before announcing postponement of elections is extremely sad.

    “Nobody can quantify the difficulty that this will bring to people at every level. I empathize with youth corps members who have been relocated from their places of primary assignment to assist with the conduct of the elections.

    “My thoughts also go to civil servants who left their bases to go and vote in their hometowns.

    Read Also: Saraki replies APC leaders

    “I also sympathize with millions of ordinary Nigerian traders whose businesses were suspended because of the no movement order. Thus, the costs of this postponement are incalculable,” he said.

    Saraki appealed to Nigerians not to be deterred, discouraged or disappointed.

    “Next Saturday, they should try and forget the current setback and troop out en masse to vote for their preferred candidates.

    “Not voting because of the postponement is not a good option for Nigerians. My appeal to our people is that we must still go out next Saturday to exercise our franchise.

    “At this point, Government and INEC should focus on what is the way forward and ensure that the elections take place as rescheduled. They should move swiftly to smoothen all the rough edges.

    “The commission must ensure we do not have a repeat of what happened today. We have been saying it that the 2019 elections should be a clear improvement on that of 2015,” he said.

    NAN

     

  • Ahead polls: 22 kids, 12 women, 32 others killed in fresh Kaduna attack

    Gunmen struck again in Kaduna State on Thursday night, 48 hours to today’s presidential and National Assembly elections, killing no fewer than 66 people.

    Twenty two of the victims are children while 12 are women, according to Samuel Aruwan, the  chief spokesman for Governor Nasir El-Rufai.

    Aruwan said in a statement that 66 bodies were recovered after hoodlums invaded hamlets in  Maro Gida and Iri axis of Kajuru Local Government Area.

    He listed the affected settlements as Ruga Bahago, Ruga Daku, Ruga Ori, Ruga Haruna, Ruga Yukka Abubakar, Ruga Duni Kadiri, Ruga Shewuka and Ruga Shuaibu Yau.

    “Security agencies today reported the recovery of 66 bodies that were killed in attacks by criminal elements on various dispersed hamlets in the Maro Gida and Iri axis of Kajuru LGA,” he said.

    Read also: Man, 44, faces unlawful damage of property charge

    Aruwan added: “Among the victims were 22 children and 12 women. Four wounded persons rescued by the security agencies are now receiving medical attention.

    “Government condemns the attacks and commiserates with the families of the victims. Security agencies have been deployed to the area and arrests have been made.

    “Government urges community, traditional and religious leaders in the area to encourage residents to avoid any reprisal attacks and to leave the matter in the hands of the security and law enforcement agencies.

    “The killings are being investigated and residents are assured that indicted persons will be prosecuted.

    “Residents of Kaduna State are enjoined to uphold peace and harmony, shun violence and allow the elections to be held in an atmosphere of calm.”

    He said any suspicious activity should be reported to the security agencies in person or through the following lines: 09034000060 and 08170189999.

    But he was silent on how the incident happened.

  • Buhari or Atiku?

    As Nigerians go to the polls today to elect a President and National Assembly members that will preside over the affairs of the nation for the next four years from May 29, it is all too easy and tempting to assess the country’s evolving democracy from an overly pessimistic, even cynical, purview. Despite the plethora of parties and candidates, the election is a straight contest between the incumbent All Prospective Congress (APC) and the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Many consider this a dismal scenario. They contend that we are most likely set to vote mechanically without choosing, as the late Professor Claude Ake would put it, since there appears to be no genuine alternatives to select from.

    Apart from their organizational spread and relative structural solidity, it is argued that the two dominant parties are neither ideologically nor philosophically dissimilar. Again, there are those who would prefer any of the nearly half dozen younger, more articulate as well as rhetorically and sartorially seemingly more appealing candidates to the two leading septuagenarians contenders, President Muhammadu Buhari and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who they dismiss as both unsuited to offer visionary, effective and competent leadership at this time.

    Furthermore, the nature of our politics is still seen, to some extent rightly, as  characterized, largely, by a vicious struggle for power by all means and at all costs mostly for self-serving pecuniary ends rather than altruistic, developmental motivation.  Yet, there is still, in my view, justifiable reason to take a more optimistic view of the country’s unfolding political development. The intensity of the political campaigns across the country suggests that no longer can the political class take the electorate for granted. No more can incumbency breed complacency. 2015 remains a lesson to everyone. Despite his age and the acute illness he went through early in his administration, President Buhari campaigned in all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. Atiku has also run an energetic and exhaustive campaign nationwide.

    Issues of performance and merit have also been significant in the run up to the election and will have an impact on the likely outcome. The speed with which the PDP has bounced back as a force to contend with in this contest, despite its devastating defeat as the party in power at the centre in 2015 and the resultant exposure of its morally repugnant entrails as a result of Buhari’s anti-corruption onslaught, is partly due to the perception of the APC’s performance in the last three and a half years. There has no doubt been a gap between the high expectations of change that the APC aroused during its campaign in 2015 and the party’s actual performance in power leading to some degree of frustration and disappointment among many of its hitherto enthusiastic supporters.

    However, an appreciable number of the electorate is also perceptive enough to assess the performance of the APC against the backdrop of the utter lack of vision, sheer incompetence and monumental corruption of the preceding 16 years in power of the PDP particularly the incredibly perverse six years of President Goodluck Jonathan. No one realistically expected the APC to magically correct in four years the cumulative rot and decay of over and one and a half decades that it inherited from the PDP.

    It is indeed significant that, despite the country earning less revenue from oil as a result of the sharp drop in oil prices under the APC compared to the PDP years, the Buhari administration in three and a half years has achieved more in infrastructure renewal across the country, diversification of the economy as well as massive investment in social intervention projects to benefit the poor on a scale unprecedented in this dispensation. Not surprisingly, therefore, the APC administration’s inexcusable unforced errors are insufficient to prevent what many analysts predict will be its inevitable victory in today’s elections.

    There is no reason whatsoever why either Buhari or Atiku should be offhandedly dismissed as being less capable than any of the other light weight candidates intensely admired in some politically ineffectual elite circles. Both men, no matter their limitations, are the two most exposed in terms of the management of public affairs over a wide scope and range of all candidates on the ballot. They have continually been in the public arena for the better part of the last four decades and their strengths and weaknesses well known.

    Some of the other bright candidates in other parties who clearly can make no impact in this election can always work towards the future. The enterprise of party formation, building and organization is no tea party. It is hard, back breaking work. In politics, it is unrealistic to expect to climb a tree from the top.

    The choices we have before us in this election realistically are Buhari or Atiku. Some cast their lot with Atiku on the basis of perceived competence and ability to run the economy efficiently. He and his running mate, Peter Obi, are successful businessmen. They have promised to bring their private sector acumen to public sector governance and create millions of job even though they have not told us how. Atiku had ample opportunity to display his ability in this regard as Vice President to General Obasanjo. In the first term before things fell apart between the two, he was practically in charge of the economy as his boss gallivanted the globe as an international salesman for Nigeria. Our best memory of that period is certainly not of creative and dynamic economic management. It was of the flawed privatization process characterized by sleazy opacity and debilitating cronyism.

    Others contend that Atiku has a penchant for attracting talent to work with him as well as having an expansive, pan Nigerian network of associates that will enable him run an inclusive administration in sharp contrast to Buhari’s unattractive insularity. Yes, the capacity to attract and utilize talent is good. But that is if a leader does not at the same time espouse as well as embrace lax ethical values that necessarily erode the gains of merit and expertise. In the same vein, an urbane outlook and cosmopolitan reach can become an albatross if at the same time a leader’s philosophy of governance sees nothing wrong in ‘enriching his friends’.

    Rules, standards, processes and procedures will necessarily suffer and good governance will be the ultimate casualty. In any case, if Atiku promises to offer ‘amnesty to looters’ if they invest their stolen money in the economy, does it mean that those from whom tremendous amounts of looted money and other assets have been recovered by the Buhari administration will be free to get their money back as long as they reinvest the money in the economy to create jobs? Will such investment be to make profit and further enrich the repentant looter or will it be an act of philanthropy?

    Again, Atiku has received enthusiastic endorsement from self-styled ethno-regional representatives of dubious electoral value because of his new found love with the idea of restructuring Nigeria. Restructuring means different things to as many individuals and groups as clamor for it. What does it mean to Atiku? It is difficult to say. The government in which he served as Vice President for eight years vehemently obstructed every attempt by the Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration in Lagos State to deepen federalism in Nigeria through judicial activism.

    In any case, there is a schizophrenic twist to Atiku’s current stance on restructuring. He waxes lyrical about his commitment to restructuring in the Southeast, Southeest and South-south but is curiously silent on the issue in the north. Is it therefore illogical to include that it may all be a vote harvesting gimmick after all, especially as a President cannot singlehandedly pursue and achieve a restructuring agenda without his party controlling an emphatic majority in the National Assembly?

    Buhari is non pretentious. It is not in his character to pander to populist gestures even if it will win him or his party plaudits. His inflexibility on principles he strongly believes in can be irritating, even annoying at times. The APC administration’s commitment to fighting corruption and enthroning greater accountability, transparency and efficiency in governance is a good starting point. As it achieves greater organizational cohesion and ideological clarity as well as hopefully establishes better dominance in the National Assembly in the next four years, the APC administration will be in a better position to pursue the federalist strand of its progressive agenda. This is different from the PDP, which even has no mention in its manifesto of the restructuring promise that its candidate has been so vocal about at least in the South.

    Much ado has been made about a few memory lapses on the part of Buhari during the campaign. But he at least has had sufficient presence of mind to have kept his eyes firmly on the ball of fighting corruption, recovering looted property and raising the standard of ethical rectitude in our public life. That is the critical thing. Buhari has had the presence of mind and character to keep a firm lid on the public coffers and preventing the kind of crazy dollar rain witnessed under Jonathan in the run up to the 2015 election even though as the incumbent that would have given him a substantial advantage over the opposition.

    Buhari does not pretend to be an extrovert or to have an armada of friends. All those are of course quite admirable attributes. But Buhari’s high standard of integrity, no matter his personal failings as a human being, will determine my vote today.

  • Tough battles for the Senate

    The National Assembly will get new members after tomorrow’s election. Some old hands may also return. Yusuf Alli, Emmanuel Oladesu, Raymond Mordi, Leke Salaudeen, Musa Odoshimhoke, Adamu Sulaiman (Sokoto), Joel Duku (Damaturu), Kolade Adeyemi (Kano), Adekunle Jimoh (Ilorin) and Abdulgafar Alabelewe (Kaduna) report.

    Kogi

    In a state like Kogi, where the ruling APC has been embroiled in crisis, it may be difficult to say who would carry the day. In the Kogi East race, the leading contenders are: Attai Aidoko of the PDP, Victor Adoji of African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Jibril Isa, aka Echocho, of the APC. Aidoko is a sitting senator, while Echocho is a former governorship candidate. Adoji is a tested technocrat. He is popular. But, his party is relatively new.

    It would have been a smooth sail for Aidoko, if he had performed to the expectation of the people. But, the way things stand at the moment, victory is not certain for him this time around. Echocho is a community man, held in esteem by stakeholders. He is a household name in his district. He could yet prevail tomorrow, despite the animosity towards the governor.

    But, the seeming animosity of the people of the area towards the APC administration of Governor Yahaya Bello may work in Aidoko’s favour and earn him a return to the upper legislative chamber.

    In Kogi West, the drama of the shifting political landscape would play out vividly in the zone’s senatorial election. The battle is between Senator Smart Adeyemi and Senator Dino Melaye of the APC and the PDP respectively. During the last general election, Adeyemi, a sitting senator then, contested on the platform of the then ruling PDP and Melaye who flew the banner of the APC, then the main opposition party.

    This time around, there is a reversal of roles, with Adeyemi switching to the APC, while Melaye has equally defected to the PDP. Adeyemi is generally believed to have delivered more democratic dividends to the people while at the Senate.

    Melaye also enjoys the support of the people for being outspoken in the Senate; even though some believe that he usually fights the wrong battle. The perceived anti-government sentiment in the state would also favour him.

    However, he is said to have lost the vital support of the Lokoja/Koto axis, where he received overwhelming support in 2015.

    The contest may be tough in Kogi Central, where Senator Ahmed Ogembe (PDP), Alhaji Yakubu Oseni (APC) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate, Natasha Hadiza Akpoti, are vigorously campaigning for votes.

     

    Kwara 

    The Kwara Central race, where the APC’s Dr Ibrahim Yahaya Oloriegbe is going to slug it out with the PDP’s Senator Bukola Saraki, will be an epic battle. It is going to be a battle between a hitherto solid but now dying political Saraki political dynasty and a mass movement.

    No doubt, the Senate President has a rich political background, but this time he would be contesting against the tsunami that is currently brewing in the Northcentral state. Oloriegbe is a medical doctor and a former World Health Organisation (WHO) consultant.

    The odds are against Saraki, because the people of Ilorin Emirate who have over the years supported him are revolting against him this time around. The tsunami, dubbed oto ge or ‘enough is enough’ would see Saraki being challenged in a free and fair election for the first time.

    The emirate has the largest voting population of the state. The people are apparently fed up with his style of leadership. Little wonder, the masses are not looking at the personality of the APC candidate, but are desirous for a change.

    In Kwara South, the contest seems to have been made easy for the APC candidate Lola Ashiru, because the PDP is in disarray over who should fly its flag in the zone. INEC has declared Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed as the PDP candidate for the race, but the party is insisting that the current Senator representing the district, Dr Rafiu Adebayo Ibrahim, is its candidate.

    Traditionally, Kwara Southerners are opposed to the political dynasty of the Sarakis. Besides, the victory of the APC in the recent bye-election in Ekiti/Oke-Ero/Isin/Irepodun Federal Constituency confirmed the supremacy of APC in the area. The PDP sought to drop the governor from the senatorial race, soon after the by-election for fear that he could be defeated. But, the INEC said it was too late.

    In Kwara North, it is going to be a battle royale between a serving member of the House of Representatives, Zakari Mohammed of the PDP and Umar Sodiq of the APC. Kwara North people have been close allies of the Sarakis. Mohammed hails from Baruten Local Government Area, while Sodiq, a pharmacist, hails from Kaiama Local Government Area.

     

    Sokoto

    Senator Abdullahi Danbaba Dambuwa (Sokoto South), Senator Ahmed Maccido (Sokoto Central) and Salihu Maidaji (Sokoto East) are contesting on the platform of the PDP, while Abubakar Shehu Tambuwal (Sokoto South), Senator Ibrahim Abdullahi Gobir (Sokoto East) and Senator Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto Central) are doing so on the ticket of the APC.

    Wamakko, Gobir and Dambuwa are seeking re-election, but Danbaba who defected from the APC to the PDP created space for Tambuwal to pick the ticket in Sokoto South. Tambuwal and Maidaji are new entrants, while Maccido is a former senator.

    In the eastern zone, Gobir is holding sway for the APC across eight local governments where the party is presumably strong. He will be facing Maidaji of the PDP, who is currently the Speaker of the Sokoto State House of Assembly.

    Tambuwal is a seasoned politician and a former PDP chieftain with massive following in Tambuwal town. He defected to the APC recently and promptly got the ticket. He is believed to be one of the most influential opinion leaders in the town. Tambuwal is up against Senator Danbaba who is also seeking re-election.

    Danbaba defected to the PDP last year with the governor and others. But observers in the zone, which is made up of seven local governments, say the lawmaker did not perform to expectation to deserve a re-election.

    For the Sokoto central zone, Senator Wamakko remains the candidate to beat, because he stands to reap what can best be described as ‘payback votes.’ Maccido, his PDP counterpart is one-time senator who is banking on the bandwagon votes. PDP stalwarts led by Attahiru Bafarawa and Governor Aminu Tambuwal are mobilising the people to vote for all the party’s candidates.

     

    Yobe

    In Yobe State, the APC is confident that it will win the three senatorial seats on Saturday. However, it will be a tough battle for the party to dethrone the incumbent PDP senator from Zone B, Mohammed Hassan who is working tirelessly to be re-elected.

    Gov. Ibrahim Gaidam (APC), who is contesting in Zone A, appears to have no major challenger. He is capitalizing on the weak opposition. The PDP appears to have given up, because it is virtually not engaging the voters in a rigorous campaign.

    Gaidam will however have to contend with former local government chairman, Abbagana Tata (PDP). Tata is also the longest serving PDP chairman in the state. As a result, he has a lot of grassroots support. But, he may not be able to muster enough financial muscle to march that of his opponent, Governor Gaidam.

    In Yobe South, Mohammed Hassan, aka Dembu (PDP), is the current senator representing the zone at the upper legislative chamber. Dembu in 2015 defeated the APC senator in the zone in an aggressive campaign that was largely hinged on tribal and ethnic sentiments. The senator is not a push over, despite the fact that the state is currently governed by the APC. He is said to be well connected to the grassroots, due to his outstanding performance at the Red Chamber.

    Mohammed Ibrahim Bomoi is flying the flag of the APC in Yobe South, otherwise known as Zone C. But he appears to be contesting for the Senate reluctantly, because he was forced to fly the senatorial flag of the party after he was denied the governorship ticket by forces within the fold. The retired billionaire and former Director of Finance at the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) does not seem to have the money for the campaign and he is not receiving much support from the party.

    For instance, Bomoi was absent at the party’s rally in his home town, Potiskum. This development has sent a negative signal to the people that he is not seriously in contention for the seat.

    Senator Ahmed Lawan (APC), who is currently the Senate Leader, is the APC flag bearer in Zone C. Lawan will be completing his 20th year at the National Assembly and he still looks sure of being re-elected on Saturday. His stay at the National Assembly and connection to the people leaves him at a vantage position to be re-elected more than his PDP opponent.

    Therefore, the PDP candidate in the zone, Sherriff Abdu, is facing a formidable opponent in the Senate Leader. Abdu was elected twice as chairman of Bade Local Government in the aborted Third Republic on the platform of the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC), and the defunct All Peoples Party (APP) in 1999.

    The PDP candidate is counting on his grassroots popularity to dislodge  Lawan tomorrow.

     

    Kaduna

    In Kaduna North, the race is between the incumbent Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi of the PDP and Suleiman Abdu Kwari of the APC. Kwari is the immediate past Commissioner of Finance. Indications are that any party that wins the zone in the senatorial election will most likely clinch the governorship seat.

    The odds favour the APC to triumph, because of the Muhammadu Buhari factor and the power of incumbency at the state level. But, other factors also favour the PDP candidate. These are the unwavering influence of two former governors, Senator Ahmed Makarfi and Mukhtar Ramalan Yero, as well as the grassroots mobilisation strength of Hunkuyi himself.

    Though the President is originally from Katsina, he has lived most of life in Kaduna. Not only is President Buhari loved in Kaduna, but he is also ‘worshiped’. Therefore, the Hausa-Fulani dominated Kaduna North zone, where Buhari is favoured to win his re-election bid, is most likely to vote APC in the National Assembly election, especially since the presidential and the National Assembly elections fall on the same day.

    Besides, the sitting Governor Nasir El-Rufai will be giving Kwari’s election his best, not only because the zone will determine who wins the governorship, but also because the governor cannot afford a return of Hunkuyi who while in the APC worked against him, by blocking the $350m loan the state was seeking from the World Bank.

    In Kaduna Central, the election is going to be very interesting. This is because the incumbent Senator Shehu Sani is neither in the ruling APC nor the major opposition party, the PDP. Sani defected to the People’s Redemption Party (PRP) at the peak of his disagreement with Governor El-Rufai.

    But, unlike Senator Hunkuyi, the misunderstanding between Sani and El-Rufai started at the inception of the APC administration. The crisis became irredeemable when Sani, who is the chairman Senate Committee on Foreign and Domestic Loans, publicly stated that the Senate will not allow the El-Rufai-led administration to access the World Bank loan.

    Sani would be facing Lawal Usman of the PDP and El-Rufai’s annointed candidate, Uba Sani, at the poll. The election will be a unique one, but the Buhari factor will favour Uba Sani against the very popular Shehu contesting on the platform of an unpopular party and the unpopular PDP candidate.

    Though Shehu Sani enjoys high level of support from the grassroots, an average electorate from Igabi, Kaduna North and Giwa local governments where majority of the votes will come from will easily sacrifice him for Buhari’s love. While the votes from Kaduna South, Chikun and Kajuru local governments will not be significant enough for him to emerge victorious, especially since the PDP candidate is favoured by the Atiku factor on those local governments.

    For Kaduna South, neither the Buhari nor the El-Rufai factor will work here. The zone has since inception of El-Rufai’s administration demonstrated resentment to his government. The Deputy Governor, Barnabas Yusuf Bala, is the APC senatorial candidate for the zone. Besides, the zone did not vote the APC in 2015 and there is no sign they will change their mind this time. This is a plus for the incumbent Senator Danjuma La’ah.

     

    Kano

    Before the latest political development that saw the cross-carpeting of some political heavyweights between the two major parties, all the three senators representing Kano were all in APC. However, with the defection of immediate-past Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso from the APC to the PDP and the return of former Governor Ibrahim Shekarau to the APC, the game has changed. Shekarau is the APC flag bearer for Kano Central.

    So, there is no doubt the PDP is on the verge of losing influence with the entrance of Shekarau in the senatorial contest. Shekarau is two-time governor of the state. Since 2003 when he defeated Kwankwaso as an incumbent governor, Malam as Shekarau is fondly called, has become a political nightmare to Kwankwaso.

    Though Kwankwaso is not re-contesting the senatorial seat, he planted one of his political godsons, Aliyu Sani Madakin Gini, as the PDP candidate for Kano Central. However, pundits have described Madakin’s candidature, as a ladder to victory for Shekarau, as the House of Representatives member, cannot, in any way, withstand Shekarau’s political weight.

    In Kano South, Senator Kabiru Gaya, a former governor in the aborted Third Republic on the platform of the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC) and a fourth-timer at the Red Chamber, is sure to represent Kano South district again, going by his political pedigree. He is going to slug it out with Alhaji Abdullahi Sani Rogo of the PDP. Rogo, a former political associate of Malam Shekarau, is now one of the chieftains of the Kwankwasiyya Movement.

    During Shekarau’s tenure as governor, between 2003 and 2007, Rogo was one of the powerful members of Shekarau’s cabinet; he manned the juicy Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs. That was the first time Rogo appeared in Kano’s political scene. Since then, Rogo has been cross-carpeting from one party to the other in search of political fortune. Now that he has been favoured by Kwankwaso with a PDP senatorial ticket, political analysts continue to wonder how Rogo will be able to defeat Senator Gaya, with his wealth of experience and influence within and outside Kano’s political landscape. More so, Gaya is known to be a close political ally to Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, the sitting governor.

    In Kano North, the sitting Senator, Barau Jibril, is seeking to return to the Red Chamber on the ticket of the APC. Senator Jubril was a member of House of Representatives between 1999 and 2003 when he chaired the House Committee on Appropriation. He was in the House of Representatives under the platform of the PDP. After 2003, he left the political scene, but re-emerged in 2015 as the senator representing Kano North, after he defeated the influential Senator Bello Hayatu Gwarzo of the PDP, who had been in the Senate from 1999 to 2015.

    Come this Saturday, the eloquent and outspoken Senator Barau Jubril will be challenged by Ahmed Garba Bichi of the PDP. Ahmed Garba Bichi is not a small fry politically. During the tenure of the late President Umar Musa Yar’Adua, he served as Minister of State for Commerce and Industry. A close political ally to Kwankwaso and one of the powerful chieftains of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Bichi contested against Malam Ibrahim Shekarau in the 2007 governorship election in Kano, where Shekarau defeated him with a narrow margin.

    The contest between Bichi and Senator Barau Jubril is expected to be very fierce, keen and hot as Kwankwaso’s influence will also play a major role in the contest, to his favour. However, Governor Ganduje, who comes from the Kano North zone, is likely to lend a helping hand to the effort of his political loyalist and right-hand man.

     

    Edo

    Former House of Representatives member, Abubakar Momoh, is the PDP candidate for Edo North. He will slug it out with Senator Francis Alimikhena of the APC. Alimikhena is the current occupier of the seat. The two candidates are formidable, but the APC candidate would bank on the existing structure and the popularity it currently enjoys.

    Alimikhena has promised to retire Momoh from politics. He said Momoh is mocking himself by claiming he executed projects which cannot be verified.

    The contest for Edo South is between Matthew Urhoghide of the PDP and Patrick Obahiagbon of the APC. The two personalities are very popular; it is believed that the contest will be keen. The candidates have equally distinguished themselves in public service. Obahiagbon is renowned for his commitment to comic performance, which many say has endeared him to the grassroots.

    In Edo Central, Patrick Ikharhiale of the APC will slug it out with John Inegbedion of the PDP. Esanland is known to be the stronghold of the PDP. Inegbedion secured victory for the PDP in the 2015 election. Esanland is the home turf of Chief Tony Anenih and other notable politicians. They used to be in firm control of the area. But, with the death of Anenih,, things have changed. Governor Godwin Obaseki has in recent times focused on the district, implementing projects and wooing the district to the APC. Saturday will see of the people of the area are appreciative of his efforts.

     

    Delta

    In Delta South, James Manager of the PDP is going to test his popularity for the fifth time. So, he will do everything possible to prove skeptics wrong, by winning the election. But, he has a formidable opponent in the person of former Governor Emmanuel Udaughan. The former governor who is contesting on the APC platform is favoured by the opinion polls.

    Uduaghan’s vision and plan for Delta South touched the Niger Delta region; this has further endeared him to the people. He carried out developmental projects in the zone when he was governor, which is likely to boost his chances.

    In Delta North, Doris Uboh of the APC will battle the incumbent Senator Peter Nwaoboshi of the PDP. Nwaoboshi has all the aces.

    In the Delta Central zone, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege of the APC will face Evelyn Oboro-Ojokoro of the PDP. Omo-Agege has been in the eye of the storm during the current session at the National Assembly. He is quite popular and likely to emerge victorious at the election.

     

    Akwa Ibom

    In Akwa Ibom Northwest district, which is also known as the Ikot Ekpene zone, former Governor Godswill Akpabio is the APC flag bearer. He will contest against Christopher Ekpenyong of the PDP.

    Akwa Ibom South it is a battle between Nelson Effiong of the APC and Dr. Akon Eyakenya of the PDP.

    In Akwa Ibom Northeast, Bassey Etim of the APC will challenge Bassey Akpan of the PDP.

     

    Anambra

    In Anambra Central, Senator Victor Umeh of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) will confront Senator Uche Ekwunife of the APC and Charles Odunukwe of the PDP.

    The race for the Anambra South seat will feature Nicholas Ukachukwu of APGA, Senator Andy Uba of the APC and Chris Uba of the PDP. Capital Oil boss Ifenayi Ubah is the candidate of the Young Peoples Party (YPP).The battle will be very interesting, given that the Uba brothers have been in the game of over the years.  In the North District, Senator Magi Okadigbo of APC and Mrs. Stella Oduah of PDP will slug it out on poll day.

     

    Oyo

    In Oyo South, three eminent politicians would slug it out. They are Governor Abiola  Ajimobi of the APC, Chief Bayo Lawal of the PDP  and the incumbent senator, Soji Akanbi who is contesting on the platform of African Democratic Congress (ADC).

    Ajimobi is a veteran in Oyo politics. He came to the limelight in 2003 when he was elected a senator representing the zone on the platform of the Alliance for Democracy (AD).

    In 2007, he contested the governorship election under the umbrella of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) but lost the election. He contested again on the platform of APC and was elected in a keenly contested election.

    Lawal was a retired Group Captain in Nigeria Air Force. Apart from being a PDP chieftain, his political experience is sketchy. He won the party’s senatorial ticket in a shadow election. He polled 461 votes to defeat his rival and former Deputy Governor, Alhaji Azeem Gbolarumi who scored 66 votes.

    Akanbi is currently representing the zone in the Senate. He was elected on the platform of APC in 2015, but dumped the party and joined the ADC. He decided to leave the APC following the insistence of Governor Ajimobi to return to the Senate.

    In Oyo Central, former Senate Leader, Senator Teslim Folarin, of the APC will slug it out with the incumbent senator representing the zone, Senator Monsurat Sunmonu of the ADC, Bisi Ilaka of the PDP and Tope Olatoye of the ADP.

    Folarin was a two-term senator. He contested and won the senatorial seat to represent Oyo Central in 2003 at the age of 39 on the platform of the PDP. He was re-elected for second term in 2007 on the same platform. Folarin remains the only legislator from Oyo State who has served two terms at the Senate. During his second tenure, he was appointed Senate Leader.

    Folarin contested for the governorship on the ticket of the PDP in 2014, but he lost the election to the incumbent Governor Ajimobi. He defected to the APC in December 2017. He is a ranked traditional chief, the Laguna Olubadan of Ibadanland.

    Sunmonu was elected to the Senate on the platform of the APC, but he dumped the party in 2018 and declared for the ADC. She was the former Speaker of Oyo State House of Assembly. She and Ilaka hail from Oyo town. They will share the four local governments in Oyo zone.

    For Oyo North, the incumbent, Senator  Abdulfatai Buhari of the APC will slug it out with Mrs Mulikat Akande-Adeola of the PDP and Bayo Lawal of the ADC.

    Buhari will rely on the goodwill of his constituents and good representation in his first term. Of all the three senatorial candidates of APC in Oyo State, it was only Buhari that emerged unopposed, a similar feat he enjoyed in 2015. He was the only senator whose election was not challenged at the tribunal. He established information and communication centres in all the 13 local governments in the senatorial zone. He also built Information Centre for Technology (ICT) centres for the conduct of JAMB examinations in four locations in the zone.

    Akande-Adeola was a former Majority Leader, House of Representatives. She represented Ogbomoso North, Ogbomoso South and Orire Federal Constituency from 2007 to 2015.  She lost election for a third term in 2015.

    Lawal hails from Oke-Ogun zone. He is a prominent member of Oke-Ogun Progressive Movement (OPM). He was a former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in the state under the administration of the late Alhaji Lam Adesina. He will be banking on support from Oke-Ogun communities to realise his ambition.

     

    Lagos

    The Lagos Central senatorial seat will be a straight fight between the incumbent Senator Oluremi Tinubu of the APC and Mr. Adesunbo Onitiri of the PDP. Senator Tinubu is serving her second term on the platform of the APC. An educationist, administrator, philanthropist and Officer of the Order of Niger (OON), she was the exemplary First Lady of Lagos State between 1999 and 2007, during which period she founded the New Era Foundation; a non-profit organisation dedicated to youth development, girl-child education, women empowerment and inspiring young people to excellence.

    As senator, she hosts quarterly town hall meetings with her constituents to render accounts of her stewardship and obtain feedbacks on their developmental needs. She has sponsored bills to provide security for elderly citizens; seek the amendment of Labour Act; to enhance employment opportunities for women and a bill to provide special economic assistance to Lagos State in view of its status as a former capital city and the commercial capital of Nigeria.

    She has impacted positively on her constituents through her constituency development initiative such as scholarship awards; provision of maintenance grants for senior citizens and sponsorship of Youth Empowerment and Skills acquisition Scheme.

    Onitiri is not a neophyte in politics. He played a significant role in the struggle for democracy, especially during the June 12, 1993 struggle. He obtained the historic landmark judgment of June 12 that enabled the election to hold on June 12. He organised the Epetedo  Declaration along with the late Prince Ademola Adele and the late Senator Wahab Dosunmu in which the winner of June 12 presidential election, the late Chief M.K.O. Abiola re-claimed his mandate.

    Onitiri, General Secretary of Lagos Elders Council, said he decided to contest the senatorial seat to change many obsolete laws that still exist in nation’s statute books for good governance. He said the 1999 Constitution, as amended, did not give room for true democracy to survive in the country.

    In Lagos West district, the incumbent Senator Solomon Adeola (a.k.a. Yayi) is the APC candidate. He is seeking a second term at the red chamber. He was elected senator in 2015 on the platform of the APC. Prior to his senatorial election, Adeola was a member of Lagos State House of Assembly from 2003 to 2011 and House of Representatives from May2011 to May 2015. In the Senate, he’s the Vice Chairman of Communications Committee. He served as Chairman of Public Accounts in the House of Representatives among others.

    The PDP candidate is 35-year old Gbadebo Rhodes Vivour. He is a greenhorn in politics. He said he is in the race to represent the Lagos West in the Senate to show his constituents what true representation looks and feels like. He said: “I am running to fight for you, to ensure that you get all that is due to you.”

     

    Ondo

    The Ondo North senatorial seat is a straight fight between the incumbent Senator Ajayi Boroffice of the APC and Dr Tunji Abayomi of Action Alliance (AA).

    Boroffice was first elected as senator in 2011 on the platform of Labour Party and later decamped to the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) on December 28, 2011, so that he can pursue his governorship ambition. He was re-elected as senator in 2015 on the platform of APC.

    Abayomi, the AA candidate, was a staunch member of the APC in Ondo State. He was one of the aspirants that contested for the APC governorship candidate along with Governor Rotimi Akeredolu and Boroffice in 2016.

    Following the unresolved internal crisis that rocked the APC senatorial primary for Ondo North, Abayomi left the party. He claimed to have won the APC ticket to represent Ondo North at the upper legislative chamber. He also alleged that the national leadership of the party gave the ticket to Senator Boroffice at his expense.

    Abayomi, a legal practitioner and human right activist, said: “In keeping with long standing determination to fight for my right, I will run for the senate in Ondo North Senatorial Zone on the platform of Action Alliance since the national leadership of APC has unconstitutionally blocked my chance by forcing its candidate on us all.”

     

    Osun

    The immediate past Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Osun State Dr Ajibola Basiru is the APC standard bearer for Osun Central Senatorial District. He also served as Commissioner for Regional Integration and Special Duties under the administration of Rauf Aregbesola . He was a member of the AD and remained in the party through its metamorphosis to Action Congress (AC), Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and now APC.

    Basiru has articulated agenda for the people of Osun Central. He promised continous consultation with the constituents; sponsorship of beneficial bills; establishment of skills /vocational training centres across the senatorial zone; annual employability/career training /Job Fair for graduates in the senatorial district to ensure that our graduates are not only qualified but employable.

    His promise also include facilitation of a Tech/ICT Hub for youth in the district; annual medical outreach/ health awareness programmes; creation of Food Bank for the district; Ajibola Basiru’s water project; Bill to establish  a Federal Medical Centre in Osun Central and an all-inclusive qualitative representation at the senate.

    The former Osun State Chairman of PDP, Alhaji Gani Ola-Oluwa is the senatorial candidate for Osun Central.  He defeated other aspirants with intimidating credentials such Chief Kola Ogunwale who was in the Senate between 2003 and 2007 and Alhaji Fatai Diekola, a PDP chieftain in the state. Ola-oluwa served as Special Adviser on Special Duties to former Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola before he became Chairman, Olorunda Local Government in 2007.

    Ola-Oluwa candidacy is being threatened by a suit seeking his disqualification over lack of requisite qualification to stand for senatorial election.  The matter is still pending before the Federal High Court, Osogbo.

    In Osun East (Ife/Ijesa), House of Representatives member Ajibola Famurewa of the APC is the candidate to beat. He has the backing of Senator Iyiola Omisore, who is backing the APC.

     

    Ekiti

    The contest for Ekiti South senatorial seat is between the Senate Minority Leader and PDP senatorial candidate, Senator Abiodun Olujimi and Prince Adeyeye of the APC.

    Olujimi is an experienced politician. She started her political career in 1997 when she joined her husband in politics as the National Publicity Secretary of the defunct NCPN. She moved to All Peoples Congress (APC) also as publicity secretary.

    She joined the PDP in 2002 which marked the beginning of her elevation in politics. In 2003, she was appointed Special Assistant by former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose. From there, she was elected as member, House of Representatives. She became Deputy Governor in 2005. In 2015, she contested for the senatorial seat to represent Ekiti South and she won . She was deputy Minority Whip and later Minority Leader.

    Former Minister of State for Works, Prince Dayo Adeyeye is the APC senatorial candidate. He emerged as a consensus candidate. Adeye defected from the PDP to APC prior to July 14, 2017 governorship election to support Dr Kayode Fayemi.

    Adeyeye was a pro-democracy activist and a member of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO). He was Director of Publicity, Falae for President Campaign Organisation (1990-1992. He was adviser on policy and press matters, M.K.O. Abiola for President Campaign Organisation  (1993), spokesman for Alliance for Democracy (AD) and a member of the Southwest Delegation to the Nigerian Leaders of Thought Conference.

    In 2006, he was a governorship aspirant in Ekiti on the platform of AD in which Fayemi emerged as the governorship candidate. Adeyeye and other 12 aspirants defected to the PDP.  Again, in 2018, he declared interest to contest Ekiti governorship seat under PDP. He lost to Kolapo Olusola-Eleka considered as Fayose’s anointed candidate.

    In Ekiti central, Obafemi Adewale, former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, is contesting on the platform of the PDP. Former House of Representatives member Oyeyemi Bamidele is the APC flag bearer. In the North, Senator Olubunmi Adetunmbi is the candidate of the APC.

     

    Ogun

    Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun is the APC candidate for Ogun Central Senatorial District. The state chapter of the party had been enmeshed in internal crisis following the governorship primary that produced Prince Dapo Abiodun as the candidate of the party, against the preferred choice of the governor, Adekunle Akinlade who had been chosen as the party’s consensus candidate before the primary.

    After the primary, conducted by the electoral committee from the National Working Committee, in which his candidate lost, the governor had protested against the outcome. But in a bid to pacify the governor and end the crisis, the party gave him three senatorial slots and a Rep position.

    Despite the efforts to pacify him, Amosun had directed his loyalists to leave APC andjoin APM. His anointed candidate, Akinlade is the APM governorship candidate in Ogun State. Amosun accepted the APC senatorial ticket for Ogun Centraland has been on the field canvassing for votes. But he has vowed to work against the APC governorship candidate in the state.

    The First female Speaker of the Ogun State Hous of Assembly, Mrs Titi Oseni-Gomez will slug it out with Amosun. She is contesting on the platform of African Democratic Congress (ADC). She was adopted as consensus candidate among other aspirants which included Femi Maje kodunmi and Bisola Sodipo-Clark.

    Oseni-Gomez, who hailed from Abeokuta South, ventured into politics in 1999. She was elected Speaker on June 4, 2013 on PDP platform.

    The PDP flag bearer for Ogun Central Senatorial District is Apostle Solomon Abiodun Sanyaolu.

     

    Benue:

    Benue is a state to watch. This is because of the pre-election defections and flexing of muscles by APC and PDP leaders.

    There are three zones in the state. Zone A is made up of Lago, Katsina-Ala and Ukum. The zone has produced three senators-Prof. Hagher, Prof. Daniel Sasor and Brg-Gen. Akaagaga.

    Konshigha, Vandekaiya, Kwande and Ushongo are also part of the zone. Ushongo produced David Iornem as senator in 1992 on the platform of the proscribed Social Democratic Party (SDP).

    Former Governor Gabriel Suswan is fro Logo. Senator Barnabas Gemade is from Konshisha. He has been elected twice. He is seeking a third term in SDP.

    The APC candidate is from Kwande. The local government has not produced a senator. Many stakeholders want the senatorial seat to rotate. Elder statesman Paul Nnongo from Kwande is backing the APC candidate.

    Zone B is perceived as the stronghold of Senator George Akume, former governor of the state. It comprise Gboko, Torko, Makurdi and Gwar.

    Akume wants to keep his seat in the Senate. Governor Sam Ortom is interested in a second term. There is rivalry between the two leaders, who parted ways last year. The governor has vowed to stop Akume. He said he would prefer to lose than allow Akume to return to the Upper Chamber.  Also, Akume has vowed to abort Ortom’s second term bid.

    The PDP candidate is no match for Akume. But, Ortom, Senator Iyi=orcha Ayu and other PDP big shots are backing him.

    Zone C is Senator David Mark’s zone. He has handed the baton to his trusted ally, Abba oro, former Interior Minister.

     

    Nasarawa

    The senatorial race appears very keen in Nasarawa State because of its heterogeneous nature. The death of the Emir of Lafia, Alh. Isa Mustapha Agwai, who weilded much political influence and dictated the pace of politics, might change the calculation.

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    In Nasarawa South, it is a tough battle between Governor Umar Tanko Al-Makura and the incumbent senator , Suleiman Adokwe. While Adokwe is an Alago, the governor is from a minority ethnic group called Gwandara. The district comprises five local governments: Lafia, Doma, Awe, Obi and Keana. The Alago are in dominance in three of the local governments especially Obi, Keana and Doma. According to a source, “the Alago people always vote along ethnic line. But when the chips are down and they need to consider religious factor, they queue behind a candidate who is a christian.  The only person who could influence their political direction was the late Emir of Lafia.”  To earn the confidence of the voters in this district, Al-Makura has to rely mostly on his spectacular achievements and a deft political strategy to split the votes of the Alago. For Adokwe, he is relying on his background as an Alago and a Christian.

    In the North, the same ethnic consideration may define the race. The Eggon will slug it out for the senatorial ticket with the Mada .  With three candidates from Eggon in the race, the PDP was careful in zoning its ticket to the Mada by picking John Mike Abdul in anticipation that the Eggon will split their votes on Saturday. The other candidates in the race from Eggon are  the present Deputy Speaker of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly, Akwashiki Godiya (APC);  Sam Alu (APGA) and former Minister Patricia Akwashiki(SDP) who once represented the district as a senator .

    In Nasarawa West, it is likely to be an easy ride for ex-Governor Abdullahi Adamu, who is highly respected in the district. His image as the founding father of the state still looms large. He enjoys a cult followership with his simplicity and love for his people. He is seeking a third term  in the Senate. The race looks like a family affair as he is really contesting against his erstwhile son-in-law, Aliyu Tafida of the PDP. The PDP candidate is having it rough because the electorate cannot come to terms with why he would divorce Adamu’s daughter and still go after his senatorial seat. They see it as a “double kill”. As a result, many seem to have sympathy for Adamu.

     

    Adamawa State

    The contest appears tight too in Adamawa State. The PDP Presidential Candidate, Alh. Atiku Abubakar is from the state and there is enthusiasm among the populace to produce the nation’s leader for the first time. Being a strategist, Atiku has made it clear that he needs a good team in the National Assembly to work with him if elected. Also, President Muhammadu Buhari being an in-law , as the wife Aisha is from the state , has left the voters divided . No one can say for sure who will carry the day between both candidates.

    In Adamawa South, the incumbent,  Sen. Abubakar Mo-Allah of the APC,  will square it up with Dinos Yero of the PDP . Besides Atiku coming from the South, five out of the nine Local Government Areas in the district are predominantly Christians . Yero is a christian and Mo-Allah a muslim. If voters shun religious sentiments, either of them can win.

    As for Adamawa North, the incumbent Sen. Binta Mashi has a date with Elisha Abbo of the PDP. Although there is likelihood that Binta might make it, her greatest obstacle is Nyampa Zakariya, who is the PDP House of Representatives candidate for Michika/ Madagali Federal Constituency. Zakariya’s influence is enormous and could affect vote haul by Binta. But with the weighty support of Governor Jibrilla Bindow(also from Adamawa North), Sen. Binta stands a good chance. Her main asset is what a source described as her “excellent performance.”

    In Adamawa Central, it is a family affair between Hajiya Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed (Binani) of the APC and her brother-in-law, Murtala Mohammed Modibbo of the PDP.  Hajiya Aishatu was a member of the House of Representatives from 2011 to 2015 and she executed far-reaching projects. On his part, the PDP candidate lost election in 2007 and later in 2011 to Hajiya Aishatu before leaving for business in Lagos. Tomorrow,  he confronts  Aishatu again in a rematch. They are both Fulani.

     

    Bauchi

    The old horses are back to the trenches in Bauchi State with ex-Governors Adamu Muazu and Isa Yuguda playing the role of godfathers. In Bauchi  South District, the candidates  vying for the ticket are Ibrahim Zailani/ Sen. Lawal Yahaya Gumau (APC) depending on the final outcome of the court’s decision on the primaries of the party; Alh. Adamu Yakubu Jibrin (APP);  Ayuba Ibrahim (MMN);  Garba Dahiru (PDP);  Aminu Abdullahi (MPN);  Adamu Musa Umar (APM);  Muhammad Lawal (ACD);  Adamu Ibrahim Jibrin (GPN); Muhammad A.A Duguma (JMPP) and Auwal Musa Adamu.

    Findings confirmed that the real battle is between Gumau of the APC and Garba Dahiru of the PDP. Although while Zailani/Gumau are rated higher, the intra-party crisis over primaries might be the undoing of the APC if not well managed. A highly-placed source said: “PDP has a weak candidate but APC should manage their crisis.”

    In the North Senatorial District, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on INEC, Senator Suleiman Nazif Gamawa of the PDP is banking on his youthful age and closeness to the grassroots. Nazif( a veteran of many political battles) is contesting  against APC’s Amb. Adamu Bulkachuwa, the husband of the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa. The last time Amb. Bulkachuwa was in the parliament was from 1999 to 2003 as a member of the House of Representatives.  Voters in the district may punish Nazif for teaming up with the Senate President Bukola Saraki against President Buhari. Nazif won election into the Senate under the APC but decamped to the PDP with Saraki and others last year.

    The situation is dicey in Bauchi Central District. For Sen. Isa Hamma Misau, representing the district, who was stoned twice by his constituents, it will take the grace of God for him to retain his seat on the platform of PDP. His image as the attack dog of Saraki has diminished his political profile. The real race is between Haliru Dauda Jika (APC) and  Bappa Aliyu Misau of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP). A top source said: “From the look of things, the PRP candidate has waxed very strong.  He was denied the ticket in APC and  moved to PRP.

     

    Plateau State

    The game on the plateau is a straightforward one between the ruling APC and the PDP in the three senatorial districts. The Plateau State political environment is still dotted by ethnic factor, minority politics and the pulse of the heavyweights who had been determining the fate of the state in the last 40 years.

    In Plateau North District ,  Hon Rufus Nature  (APC) will go to the ring with Hon  Istifanus  Gyang  ( PDP ). While the PDP candidate is an incumbent member of the House of Representatives,  the APC candidate was Secretary to the State Government ; he resigned to contest the position. Both of them are very strong and so popular  that no one can predict the winner.

    For Plateau Central, a retired Comptroller-General of Immigration Service, David Paradang (PDP), who was booted out office after some applicants died in a stampede during recruitment in some state capitals during the Presidency of Goodluck Jonathan,  will take on Hezekiah Dimka (APC). Dimka is a retired Commissioner of Police. According to investigation, both the PDP and APC are well rooted in the district.

    As for Plateau South , it is a battle of wits between Ignatius Longjan of the APC and  Barr Kefas Dandam of the PDP. Findings indicate that the  APC candidate, who is the immediate past deputy governor of the state, is more popular than the PDP  candidate who is relatively unknown.

     

    Taraba

    Despite the fact that Taraba State is a long time stronghold of the PDP, there might be an upset during the National Assembly poll going by discontent in the state. The APC senatorial candidates are  General Ishaya Bauka (South), Sen AA Yusuf (Central) Engr. Ahmed Yusuf (North). The flag bearers of PDP are returnee Sen. Emmanuel Bwacha (South), Bako Gassol (Central), Sen. Shuaibu Lau (North).

    A reliable source, who is familiar with the recent developments in the state, said:  “In PDP, Sen. Bwacha could pull it off.  The other candidates are facing opposition  from the APC..”

     

    Gombe

    The titan of Gombe politics, Sen. Danjuma Goje (APC) will be seeking a revalidation election into the Senate for the third time in Gombe Central Senatorial District after being a governor for eight years. His tenure as the chairman of the Appropriation Committee added more to his robust political profile. As a godfather, he is expected to have an easy ride. Notwithstanding, he faces a challenge from the outgoing Speaker of the State House of Assembly,   Nasiru Nono of the PDP. The hurdles before Goje are limited because his district is made up of only two local governments.

    In Gombe North District, the incumbent Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo (PDP), who is the new game changer, will try his hand on legislative plough by contesting  against Saidu Alkali of the APC. To pave the way for his ticket, the governor swapped with Sen. Bayero Nafada (a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives), who is presently representing Gombe North Senatorial District. Dankwambo conceded governorship ticket to Nafada in exchange for a senatorial ticket. He stands a good chance of winning the ticket because of the unwritten agreement accompanying the swapping.

    Concerning  Gombe South District,  Sen. Binta Bello (PDP) has an electoral  to settle with Col. Ishaka Bulus of the APC. Binta has been in the House of Representatives for a long time which might work against her. The people of the district are yearning for a new hand.

     

    Niger

    The colour of the Senatorial game is principally determined by President Muhammadu Buhari’s tremendous goodwill in the state. Many Emirs in Niger State are also said to be working silently for Buhari and they appeared instrumental to the anointing of some National Assembly and State House of Assembly candidates.

    Those aspiring for APC senatorial tickets in Niger State are Muhammad Bima (Niger South); Mohammed Sani Musa (Niger East) and the spokesman for the Senate, Sen. Sabi Abdullahi. Were it not for the backing of some influential Emirs, Abdullahi who was pelted with missiles by his constituents for allegedly taking sides against Buhari in the Senate, would have lost a second term ticket. He will have a jolly ride back to the Senate because of royal backing.

    For the PDP, the senatorial candidates are Baba Shehu Agaie (Niger South); and Sani Duba (Niger North).

    Out of the PDP candidates, only Agaie looks stronger to pose a threat to Bima of the APC but he might still not make it.

     

    Kebbi

    For strategic reasons, the APC decided to give automatic return ticket to all its Senators in Kebbi State. This is a joker which has destabilised the PDP in the state. The APC senatorial candidates are ex-Governor Adamu Aliero (Kebbi Central); Yahaya Abdullahi (Kebbi North) and Bala Ibn Na’Allah (Kebbi South).

    The PDP candidates are Abubkar Shehu Geda (Kebbi Central); Usman Bala Suru (Kebbi North) and a former Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises, Benjamin Israel Dikki (Kebbi South).

    Although there are some negligible sentiments against Aliero for being in power circle for a while, he remains a revered leader in the state. If APC has any challenge, it is in Kebbi South where Bala Ibn Na’Allah is its candidate. Apart from being rated as unstable in the Senate during the Presidency face-off with the Senate on some issues, Christians dominate his district and he will find it tough coming back. He is also presently distracted by the court case surrounding the APC senatorial primaries in the district. The ex-DG of BPE is too much a match for him.

     

  • What manner of probe?

    The House of Representatives’ probe of the National Pension Commission (PenCom) and alleged violations of the Pension Reform Act 2014 sparked uproar in the industry. Omobola Tolu-Kusimo reports

    THE House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee probe into PenCom’s activities and the alleged violation of the Pension Reform Act 2014, which held on February 7, 2019, began with an assurance from its Chairman, Hon.  Johnson Agbonayinmam.  He said: “We are here to do our oversight function and not to witch-hunt anybody or the commission as a whole.”

    He continued: “When a complaint is brought to us, we will investigate. So, this is just an investigation. It is purely investigative and until proven guilty, the commission is innocent. We are investigating all issues. I am saying this because the submission from some quarters before today’s probe showed that we have taken a position. But no, we have not taken a decision. What we are doing is also in support of President Muhammadu Buhari’s fight against corruption.”

    But some stakeholders thought otherwise. To them, the word investigation evoked a negative feeling for a sensitive industry like the Nigerian pension industry.

    Present at the probe to state their positions were government agencies, including the Civil Service Commission, Ministry of Finance, Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs), Pension Fund Custodian (PFC), and other stakeholders from the private sector, civil society groups, and individuals from across the country.

    Explaining what led to the probe, Agbonayinmam said: “At the plenary session of November, 2018, the House deliberated on a motion on the need to investigate the violation of PRA 2014 by PenCom and resolved to constitute an Ad-Hoc Committee to investigate the matter. Consequently, an ad-hoc committee was constituted on December 12, 2018 with the mandate to investigate the activities of the commission and violation of the Act from April 2017 till date.”

    He listed the violations to include unduly creating impasse in the matter of appointment and resumption of duty of the members of the Board of the Commission; illegal creation of additional Directorates and appointment of more directors, thereby increasing the number from 10 to 17 directors and illegal increase of Commission’s staff End of Service Benefits by 300 per cent.

    When Agbonayinmam asked PenCom Acting Director-General, Mrs. Aisha Dahir-Umar, to respond to allegations against the commission, she said they were false, unfounded and embarrassing, adding that the commission has always acted in line with the Act, and that the management and members of staff of the commission work with the Act.

    “The Pension Reform Act (PRA) 2014, as most of my colleagues call it is our bible; we walk by it. It controls every decision we take, so we can never violate it,” she added.

    She also said the Commission’s contention that the House of Representatives was misled by the motion moved on November 29, 2018, as the allegations listed in the House resolution against the commission for infractions of the PRA 2014 are completely incorrect and unfounded.

    Stating the commission’s position, she said: “Accordingly, the commission hereby presents to the Ad-hoc Committee, the true positions of the issues. The House Ad-hoc Committee may recall that following the dissolution of the erstwhile management of PenCom on 13 April, 2017 along with the managements of 22 other Agencies and Parastatals, the Federal Government announced the names of a new management team subject to confirmation by the Senate.

    “You will further recall that on 27 May, 2017, the Federal Government reconstituted the nominated team subject to Senate confirmation. In the interim, however, the Federal Government directed the undersigned, as the most senior career staff of the commission, to superintend the affairs of the commission in acting capacity, pending assumption of duty by the appointed members of the Executive Management. Consequently, we have in the Commission since April 2017, only a transitional management run by career staff of the commission.

    “By virtue of Section 19(3) of the PRA 2014, Mr. President has the power to appoint the Chairman, the Director-General and Commissioners of PenCom, subject to confirmation by the Senate. The career staff of the commission absolutely do not have any role or influence on decisions taken by either the Executive or Legislative arms of the Federal Government in the matter of appointment to the Board of the Commission. It is, therefore, incorrect to allege that the current transitional management is stalling the appointment or assumption of duty of the new Board members.”

    On the accusation of illegal creation of additional Directorates and appointment of more directors, thereby increasing the number from 10 to 17, The Actg DG said: “Section 30 of the PRA 2014 provides that the structure of PenCom shall comprise “Divisions, Departments and Units as may be approved by the Board from time to time.”

    “Furthermore, the commission has not recruited any additional General Manager (i.e. Director) since the beginning of the transitional period in April 2017 to date. What happened was a normal and duly approved promotion exercise for career staff of the Commission, where three Deputy General Managers were promoted to the grade of General Managers after duly satisfying the established criteria in accordance with the terms and conditions of their employment.

    “The Ad-hoc Committee may wish to note that the Report of the Annual Staff Performance Appraisal exercise, containing recommendations for promotion to General Manager and other grades, was approved by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) on 18 April, 2018, in the absence of a functional Board of the Commission. This is consistent with the provision of Section 17(5) of the PRA 2014 and Section 9 of the First Schedule to the PRA 2014, as well as Mr. President’s directive of 16 July, 2015 to all MDAs whose Boards were dissolved that issues requiring approval of Boards should be referred to him for decision through the respective supervising Ministries.

    “You may wish to further note that since the inception of the transitional management in April 2017, PenCom has not undertaken any staff recruitment. The recruitment undertaken by the erstwhile Executive Management on the eve of their departure was suspended by the House Committee on Federal Character due to issues associated with the process.”

    Interjecting, a member of the ad-hoc committee, Hon. Benjamin Wayo, queried  the legitimacy of the President usurping the statutory roles of the board by directing the SGF to act on his behalf.

    He said there is no provision in Section 17(5) of the PRA 2014, that gives the President the authority to usurp the powers or functions of the board of the commission.

    He pointed out that the President should be called to order for usurping the powers of the board.

    But Hon Agbonayinmam, who is the ad-hod committee Chairman, quickly overruled Hon. Wayo’s points, noting that constitutionally, the President can direct the SGF to act on his behalf, and the case of the PenCom is not an exception.

    Wayo, who insisted on his point was further cut short by Hon Agbonayinmam, leading to a mild argument between the legislators.

    Another member of the Committee, Hon. Iboro Asuquo Ekanem, questioned the legitimacy of the transitional management team by the commission, saying that the PRA of 2014 does not recognise such team.

    He also queried the non-remittance of Federal Government’s monthly pension contributions into workers Retirement Savings Account (RSA) and the creation of a Transitional Management Team.

    Reacting, the Ag DG clarified that “Transitional Management” is a mere semantic and it is temporary before the board resumes. According to her, all Directors and Heads of Departments comprise the management committee. As such the commission does not need anybody’s approval to act on operational matters like the management committee, hence the creation of the term transitional management.  She explained that transitional management is an operational word used by the management to work as team.

    Speaking on the allegation of illegal increase of commission’s staff End of Service Benefits by 300 per cent, she said the allegation is also false and unfounded.

    On Federal Government’s non-remittance of monthly contributions into RSA accounts, she explained that remittance is done in arrears of between two to four months.

    At the end of the probe, the Ad-Hoc Committee did not make any statement against the commission. Rather, Hon Agbonayinmam and his members asked the Commission to provide PenCom staff travel schedule, travel ticket and payments made, explaining that the reason they demanded for the details was to ensure that everybody, including her, who collected money did travel. They also requested to see details of contracts awarded since she took over as Acting DG and all that were procured under her. They further demanded to see PenCom assets.

    But the Acting DG said she has not awarded any contract; neither does the commission have any other asset aside its headquarters in Maitama, Abuja.

    Hon Agbonayinmam, however, adjourned sitting to an unannounced date amidst protest by some stakeholders, who said they were not allowed to state their opinions.

    A stakeholder from the private sector said the probe was irritating the private sector. “We are irritated as thoroughbred private sector investor and stakeholders. What is the Ad-Hoc Committee looking for? What are they investigating? The fact that they say they are investigating the activities of PenCom and its violation has already caused tension in the system. And after hearing what they have to say, my conclusion is that they have only heated the system with the investigation. You can even see that the legislators seem confused and eventually started laughing and sharing jokes.”

    Centre for Pension Right Advocacy Executive Director, Ivor Takor lamented that the word investigation conveyed a very negative feeling. “The word investigation conveys a very negative feeling. It does not flow from what happened during the proceedings. I think that if the National Assembly wants documents from PenCom, they should sit with PenCom and get the documents and not say they are calling for an investigation. Because this industry strives on goodwill and there are new initiatives like micro pension which people have to buy in. And when you begin to talk about investigation, the major stakeholders, who are the workers and retirees, feel that something is going wrong in the industry and from what they have shown today, nothing has gone wrong with the industry. If the Federal Government is deducting money from workers and they are not remitting, the National Assembly should have sought it out with the government. Also, if the Presidency has not appointed board, what is the business of PenCom staff with that? Are they to appoint boards for themselves?

    “The law states that for all statutory parastatals, in the absence of a board, they report to the President, through Secretary to the Government (SGF) and they know it. Why will they be asking whether reporting through the SGF is right or wrong? I think it is really mean. When they came here to ask which staff travelled, did he actually travel, it is so mean and a waste of people’s time, who travelled all the way from different states in the country to come and be hearing this type of a thing. It is very sad.

    “As to whether the fund is safe or not, the fund is safe. I happen to be one of the people, who wrote the PRA 2004 and I was a board member of Pencom for seven years. We know that everything was put in place to safeguard the funds and that comes first. The issue we have had in pension has to do with the old pension, Defined Benefits Scheme (DBS) and not Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS). To even think that why they do not have a board is between the Presidency and the National Assembly, yet the legislators still blame PenCom for maintaining and sustaining the pension industry,” he said.

    Hight Street Consulting Ltd Managing Director, Wilson Ideva, said it is National Assembly’s role to carry out oversight functions on government agencies and parastatals.

    Ideva, a former Managing Director of one of the PFAs, said: “People may have mixed feelings, especially those in the private sector about what is going on. But in between, the truth is always constant. As we all witnessed today, no fraud was detected because there can never be any fraud. Like the Acting DG said, there can never be any fraud before her, with her or after her. The statement speaks for itself, which means in perpetuity, there will never be anytime there is fraud because of the internal control that has been put in place.”

  • FG commends NASS over passage of Tourism bill

    The Federal Government (FG) has commended the National Assembly over the passage of the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) bill.

    Minister of Information and Cultural, Alhaji Lai Mohammed said that the government is pleased with the progress of the bill which has been passed by the Senate and House of Representatives and forwarded to the President for assent.

    The Minister added that legistaltive backing for the Institute which is the apex trainer for the hospitality and tourism sector is long overdue.

    Mohammad stated this in Abuja at the NIHOTOUR stakeholders forum, themed:Imperative of legislation for institutional capacity building”.

    The Minister who was represented by the Director domestic tourism at the ministry, Mrs Nzobiwu Okpakiripe commended the resilience of the institute.

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    He stated, “It is of critical importance to remind us all that the Institute is the apex tr for the Hospitality and Tourism Sector, under the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, and there is no doubt that a legislative backing for NIHOTOUR is long overdue, bearing in mind the Institute was established in 1987.

    “I am delighted with the progress of the bill, which has been successfully passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives respectively and subsequently forwarded to President Muhammadu Buhari, for his assent.”

    Acting Director General of NIHOTOUR, Alhaji Momoh Kabir stated that the institute today has a presence in the six geopolitical zones of the country.

    He said, “It is with this in view that we at the Institute commend and appreciate the astuteness of the present 8th National Assembly and the very helpful intervention of the Honourable Minister of Information and Culture Alh. Lai Muhammed, in ensuring that the NIHOTOUR’S bill was not only successfully passed but equally transmitted to Mr. President for his assent.

    “From its modest beginning as a mono campus in Bagauda, Kano state; NIHOTOUR today has its presence in the six geopolitical zones of the country.”

  • Customs to sue firms for delaying N1.8b premium

    The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Comptroller-General, (CGC), Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd) on Tuesday vowed he would not hesitate to sue four firms for defaulting to pay the families of deceased officers’ backlog amounting to N1.819 billion premiums between 2009 and 2014.

    The customs boss however disclosed after getting the go-ahead from the National Assembly to pay the families from the service’s last year’s budget, he has raised a committee to effect the payment within six weeks.

    Ali, who made the announcement in Abuja, while inaugurating a committee to clear the claims in three tranches, revealed the defaulting insurance companies are: Niger Insurance, Great Nigeria Insurance, Chrome Insurance and Country and City Insurance.

    He accused the firms of not paying the Group Life Assurance and Group Personal Accidents liabilities during the period.

    The Comptroller-General noted that the firms did not give any excuse for sitting on the premium.

    According to him: “We have taken all the steps that we can including reporting them to the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) but to no avail.

    Read Also; Customs mulls vehicle duty review to 10%

    “Maybe we will end up, with the advice of the legal adviser, going to court.”

    The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) boss said the people that suffer most from this are families and next of kin of the deceased officers.

    “What we did was to liaise with the National Assembly (NASS) in the last year budget within our fund to pay up these claims to alleviate the suffering. On how to get the money from the brokers will be decided in court,” Ali noted.

    Tasking the seven-man committee, he said: “Every Kobo will be paid with the supervision of the office of the CGC. It is our hope that this will alleviate the sufferings of our people.”

    Also inaugurating an eight-man committee to distribute perishable goods seized by NCS, he said Customs warehouses were filled and the need to distribute rice and other goods before the rainy season.

    Ali said President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the inclusion of formal orphanages and crisis areas beside the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states.

    “We are looking at in the next six weeks, we should be able to distribute this consignment,” Ali said.

    The CGC has also ordered a comprehensive biometric exercise to capture all officers and men of the Service. Ali said there were disparities in the figure of the workforce.

    “There are officers who have been chopped out of the Service but they are still wearing uniforms and extorting money. These are the ones giving us a bad name,” he said.

  • Minimum Wage Bill passes second reading

    BARELY a day after it got to the National Assembly, the National Minimum Wage Bill yesterday passed the crucial first and second reading in the Senate and the House of Representatives.

    The bill was transmitted to the Red and Green chambers by President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday.

    The upper chamber spoke of a plan to accommodate domestic workers of Politically Exposed Persons (PEP) in the implementation of the new salary structure.

    Titled “Approval of a National Minimum Wage for Nigerian Workers – amendment of the National Minimum Wage (amendment) Act, 2011”, the Bill prescribes N27,000 as minimum wage.

    The Senate suspended its rules to take the first and second reading of the Bill as was suggested by Senate Leader Ahmed Lawan.

    Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, who presided, noted that the consideration of the bill was the first time the Senate would read an Executive Communication and suspended its standing rules to consider it.

    Ekweremadu added that the Senate would constitute an ad-hoc committee to work with stakeholders to produce acceptable report for the Senate to approve.

    He noted that the Bill limited those to benefit from the new wage structure to places with not less than 25 workers, saying it will exclude workers in places with fewer workers.

    The deputy senate president urged the ad-hoc committee to address the issue during its public hearing.

    Speaking on the second reading of the bill, he said: “This will be the first time the Eighth Senate is reading an Executive Communication and suspending our rules to take a First and Second Reading and assigning the Bill to a Committee, all in one day. This shows how committed we are to this issue.

    “I believe what we have said so far will suffice in guiding the committee. Just to clarify: the new minimum wage brought to us is set at N27, 000. There were news reports of N27, 000 for state workers and N30, 000 for the Federal Government workers, but this is a single national minimum wage of N27, 000.

    “Another issue of concern is whether this affects organisations and establishments employing less than 25 persons.

    “If this does not affect these people; it means a whole number of people will be left out of the minimum wage and that is not right. In most countries, the minimum wage applies to all workers, regardless of the number of people in an establishment.

    “I believe that at the public hearing, we will be able to clarify and sort it all out. We must try our best to reduce the gap between the rich and the poor.

    “There is an argument about the ability of state governments to pay. If they reduce their wage bill and other costs, they will be able to pay.

    “I suggest that they look inward and collect more taxes. I am not advocating that they should increase taxes, but they should increase the drive to collect more taxes.”

    In his lead debate on the bill, Lawan said that the proposed legislation was the work of the federal and state governments, irrespective of political persuasion.

    He described the bill as critical, especially as it has to do with the welfare of workers.

    The Senate Leader said the N27, 000 national minimum wage had already been agreed upon by stakeholders.

    He said that the Bill should be given accelerated consideration and passage so that its implementation could begin this year.

    The financial implications of the Bill, he said, will be worked out during the consideration of this year’s budget.

    The Yobe North senator noted that though N27,000 may not be what the workers need, but it is a step forward.

    Minority Leader Mrs Biodun Olujimi, who also spoke in favour of the bill, described it as the most important bill in the life of the Eighth Senate.

    Senator Olujimi noted that though the N27, 000 minimum wage may not be enough, it is an improvement on N18, 000 minimum wage.

    She, however, warned that the proposed minimum wage should not be a political gimmick in an election year.

    The Ekiti South senator said: “Most states have said that they cannot pay. The Federal Government should sit down with state governments to work out how the new wage would be accommodated by state governments.”

    Senator Shehu Sani (Kaduna Central) appreciated the spirit with which President Buhari transmitted it to the National Assembly and the struggle workers put up to secure an improved minimum wage.

    Senator Barnabas Gemade said he would have suggested the third reading of the bill, which according to him, was overdue, “if not that we have been receiving back Bills without the assent of Mr. President”.

    To serve on the ad-Hoc Committee are: Senate Chief Whip Olusola Adeyeye (chairman); Chairman, Senate Committee on Labour, Abu Ibrahim; Sani (Northwest); Sam Egwu (Southeast); Suleiman Adokwe (Northcentral); Francis Alimekhena (Southsouth); Solomon Adeola (Southwest) and Binta Garba Mazi (Northeast).

    The committee is to report back to the Senate in Plenary within two weeks.

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    At the Green Chamber, the lawmakers spoke of a plan to receive representations from the 36 governors as well as ministers of Finance and Labour & Productivity next Monday to guide the House on the most appropriate minimum wage threshold for workers.

    An ad hoc Committee chaired by Deputy Speaker Yussuff Lasun held a public hearing on the bill on Monday.

    Expected at the public hearing are representatives of trade unions and other stakeholders.

    Muhammad Monguno (APC, Borno) said the increment was long overdue as there was need for workers to have a wage commensurate with reality.

    Edward Pwajok (PDP, Plateau) was delighted that the bill was specific on the categories of employers who must comply with the law and those exempted from paying the minimum wage.

    Deputy Chief Whip Pally Iriase enjoined the House to review the proposal upward to N30,000, which he said was initially  agreed on by the Tripartite Committee.

    Aminu Shagari (PDP, Sokoto) applauded the clause on sanctions for defaulters, saying it would make employers sit up. Kayode Oladele (APC, Ogun) said workers need living age considering the country’s high poverty level and high income disparity.

    To Oluwole Oke (PDP, Osun), N27, 000 is grossly inadequate. He noted that the new tax parameters by the Federal Government could be a means of retrieving whatever is added to the minimum wage.

    Chika Adamu (APC, Niger) said the proposed wage was inadequate.

    He said the five-year review period must be reviewed downward to one or two years, while also demanding that the table for the proposed salary structure should be presented to the House to enable it work on the bill from informed angle.

    Ayodele Oladimeji (PDP, Ekiti), said N27, 000 cannot sustain a family, considering the prevailing economic reality.

    Toby Okechukwu (PDP, Enugu) urged caution and suggested that states must be compelled to make input into the discussion at the legislative level to ascertain their commitment. “Even if you give bailout to states, what gives impression that N27, 000 can be paid?

    “This is where the viability of states comes because we have to find out what makes it impossible for almost all the states to pay the current N18, 000. We have to look for what is sustainable.

    “Why must the issue of minimum wage be a battle that the Labour unions must win? That is why there must be an adequate legal structure for it and we must be mindful of increment and its multiplier effect on the living conditions of Nigerians,” he said.

    Sadiq Ibrahim (APC, Adamawa), said the N27,000 new wage would be eroded as soon as it comes into effect without functional and effective public infrastructure and utilities.