The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Senate president

  • Boko Haram: Ekweremadu to lead Senators to Adamawa

    Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, will today lead some Senators to Adamawa State as part of Senate’s move to obtain first hand information on the activities of Boko Haram insurgents in the North East.

    The visit will also take the lawmakers to Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in the state.

    This is sequel to the resolution of the upper chamber on the need to establish a Presidential Intervention Committee for the rehabilitation of the North East.

    The motion was sponsored by Senators George Thompson Sekibo (River East) and 35 others on the urgent need to establish a Presidential Intervention Committee for the rehabilitation of the North East zone being ravaged by the insurgents.

    Apart from Ekweremadu, Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki also listed other Senators on the trip to include Senators Ahmed Lawan, (Yobe North) Murtala Nyako, (Adamawa Central) Binta Garba, (Adamawa North), Ahmadu Abubakar, (Adamawa South) George Sekibo, (Rivers East), Bala Ibn Na’Allah (Kebbi South) and Bashir Marafa (Taraba State).

    Saraki had on Monday led some Senators on the spot assessment of the security situation in Borno State.

    He also visited IDP camps where he made a cash donation of N10million in support of the upkeep of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

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  • Senate delegation donates N10m to IDPS in Maiduguri

    The senate delegation to Maiduguri, Borno State on Monday donated the sum of N10m to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the state.

    The senate delegation led by Senate President, Bukola Saraki was in Maiduguri to see first hand, the plight of the displaced people told governor Shettima that their coming to Maiduguri is to commiserate with the people of the state and a show of solidarity for the people of the state.

    Details later…

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  • Our mission in Maiduguri – Saraki


    Senate President, Bukola Saraki on Monday promised that the Nigerian senate will do anything required to restore normalcy to North eastern Nigeria. The senate president made the statement today during his visit to Maiduguri, Borno state in order to assess the ongoing war against Boko Haram insurgents. Saraki, who posted about the journey on his twitter handle noted that the mission of the visit is to restore hope to the people, lament the situation of things in the state due to activities of Boko Haram insurgents. "The mission of our visit to NE is simple, to give hope and to let the people of NE know that the Nigerian Senate will not abandon them. "I urge everyone to continue to pray for peace to be restored while also trying to constructively and carefully engage those behind the atrocities. "I will make it a point to include it as part of the places we will inspect. Heard it holds over 18000 IDP's. "As individuals representing various districts and Senate as an institution, we promise to do anything required of us to restore normalcy to NE. "8th Senate will also continue to suggest ideas through motions and resolutions that can help the country put this problem behind us "There are no quick fix solutions to the problem of insurgency, we will continue to encourage all efforts, military and otherwise. "We cannot in good conscience talk to the people affected by this menace from Abuja. We are here to listen and hopefully get ideas of solutions. He noted that members of the 8th senate will stand together with President Buhari, "whose singular devotion to ending these senseless killings gives us greater believe that we will win the war," he said. "We stand with our troops and this new Senate will do all within power of authorization & approvals to support by providing funding and oversight. "Our country Nigeria is going through one of its worst challenges in history; with security challenge has come also economic challenges, he added. Furthermore, he lamented that it is very emotional to see over 2600 children made orphan by Boko Haram at Dalori IDP camp. "We will leave no stone unturned to address this," he stressed. He also stated that the senate will pass legislations, look over appropriation to find funding for rehabilitation, provide resources and provide oversight.   [news_box style="2" display="tag" link_target="_blank" tag="Maiduguri" count="6" show_more="on" show_more_type="link" header_background="#444444" header_text_color="#61d60e"]

  • Saraki visits Maiduguri

    Saraki visits Maiduguri


    Senate President, Bukola Saraki on Monday visited Maiduguri, Borno state. The senate president, who visited the North Eastern state noted that he visitation was encouraged as a way to assess the ongoing war against Boko Haram insurgents. Saraki, who posted about the journey on his twitter handle noted that the mission of the visit is to restore hope to the people. "The mission of our visit to NE is simple, to give hope and to let the people of NE know that the Nigerian Senate will not abandon them. "I urge everyone to continue 2 pray for peace to be restored while also trying to constructively & carefully engage those behind the atrocities. "I Will make it a point to include it as part of the places we will inspect. Heard it holds over 18000 IDP's. "As individuals representing various districts & Senate as an institution, we promise to do anything required of us to restore normalcy to NE. "8th Senate will also continue to suggest ideas through motions and resolutions that can help the country put this problem behind us," he said. Find tweet below:    

  • Mixed reactions trail Saraki’s claim on principal officers

    Mixed reactions trail Saraki’s claim on principal officers

    Mixed reactions on Friday greeted the claim by Senate President, Bukola Saraki, that his hands were tied over the appointments of principal officers for the 8th National Assembly held on Thursday.
    The Senate had adopted the elections of principal officers contrary to the directives of the All Progressive Congress, APC.
    “Whilst one is strongly persuaded to toe party line and act in accordance with the suggested party position, regrettably, clear provisions of our extant rules and parliamentary conventions have not given me that leeway to act otherwise.

    “Therefore, my hands are tired in the circumstances and I seek your understanding in this regards,” The Senate President said in a letter addressed to the chairman of APC.

    Some of the reactions include:

    Kayode Ogundamisi on Facebook said: “Senator Saraki’s antics are no longer funny”

  • Burying party supremacy

    Burying party supremacy

    Aminu Tambuwal, now Sokoto State governor, was re-elected member of the House of Representatives in 2011. His ambition was to be Speaker. His then party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), saw no sense in his aspiration. The party’s reason was premised on the fact that the party had zoned the office of the Senate President to the North central and as such it would be unfair to have the Speaker also from the North. The party zoned the position to the Southwest and endorsed the candidacy of Mulikat Adeola-Akande. It was as though Adeola-Akande was coasting home to victory.

    But, Tambuwal was able to rally the then Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) members and with their block votes, he defeated his party’s choice and emerged Speaker.

    Fast-forward to 2015. The governing party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), did not use zoning but it endorsed candidates for the offices of Senate President, Speaker and others. Senator Bukola Saraki and Hon. Yakubu Dogara disagreed with their party and with the support of the opposition PDP, they carried the day. It was a major blow on the party on whose shoulder Nigerians have placed a lot of baggage.

    In search of peace, the party licked its wound and accepted Saraki and Dogara. It feels the best way to balance the equation and move forward was to allow its choice for Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, to become the Senate Leader. It also proposes Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, who ran against Dogara, as House Leader.

    From fillers, Dogara has chosen to toe the Tambuwal path by accepting the party’s decision. Tambuwal, in deference to the party after initially rebelling against it to emerge Speaker, accepted his main challenger Adeola-Akande as House Leader.

    But, unlike Dogara, Saraki seems hell-bent on defying the party. To him, party supremacy can as well be dead. Yesterday, his actions showed clearly that he was not willing to buy the party’s idea that Lawan should be the Senate Leader. His supporters argue that the Senate rules do not say the party should decide who occupy principal offices.   They say a provision in the rules only says the principal officers will be from the ruling party and not dictated by the party.

    Today, Saraki is expected to unfold his choices for the positions. Chances are high that he will not go by the party’s decision. May be only one of the four recommended by the party will have his blessing. If that happens, then party supremacy, which APC governors argue in favour of yesterday after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, may be on its way to the morgue. Dead.

    The consequences? They seem better imagined.

  • Senate President receives British High Commissioner

    Senate President Senator Bukola Saraki has eulogised the bilateral relations between Nigerian and the United Kingdom, assuring that the present administration will fulfill its obligations to the betterment of the nation.

    The Senate President, who hosted the visiting British High Commissioner, Dr. Andrew Pocook, in his office, commended him for reinvigorating the mutual understanding between the two countries.

    He said that Nigeria will always look forward to Britain in areas of infrastructural development and social-security. Saraki added: “I am very delighted to receive Your Excellency in my office barely 48 hours to my resumption to office. This shows the level of commitment the British government has towards the course of Nigeria.

    “We look forward to a very good working relationship in order to move our dear country forward. Nigerians deserve the best of governance.”

    The Senate President spoke on the task before the new administration, assuring that, with the collaboration from the United Kingdom those challenges are surmountable.

    Dr. Pocook congratulated the Senate President on his election. He said the United Kingdom will always walk closely with Nigeria government in ensuring good governance at all levels.

  • NASS: Dogara, Gbajabiamila for Speaker

    NASS: Dogara, Gbajabiamila for Speaker

  • Confusion as Saraki, Ekweremadu emerge Senate President, Deputy

    Confusion as Saraki, Ekweremadu emerge Senate President, Deputy

    A major crisis broke out on Tuesday morning in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), with Senator Bukola Saraki emerging as Senate President.

    Only 57 Senators sat to vote Saraki. The others (51) were not at the sitting.

    Also on  Tuesday, Senator Ike Ekweremadu edged out Senator Ali Ndume of the APC in the poll for Deputy Senate President.

    Ekweremadu, who  is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, was the Deputy Senate President in the last dispensation.

    Details later…

  • Saraki dumps APC to run with Ekweremadu

    Saraki dumps APC to run with Ekweremadu

    • Bloc votes
    • plan collapses
    • Ex-Kwara governor shuns Ndume, Goje, others

    Plans to get Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senators-elect and members of the House of Representatives-elect to vote en bloc for principal officers during today’s inauguration of the Eighth National Assembly collapsed yesterday.

    There was also a split among the PDP governors on who to support between Senator Ahmed Lawan and Senator Bukola Saraki for Senate president.

    But The Nation learned this morning that at a meeting of PDP Senators-elect in Abuja, 28 agreed to back Saraki/Ike Ekweremadu ticket; 17 agreed to back Lawan/Akume ticket. That was after Saraki decided to work with PDP in a desperate move to win the race.

    Some senators and members-elect rejected the suggestion by Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose that PDP senators should vote Saraki.

    Lawan at the weekend emerged the choice candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) after a mock election by the party’s senators-elect. But the Saraki camp rejected the straw poll and vowed to contest for the position on the floor today.

    The APC is the majority party in the Senate, with 59 senators-elect. The PDP has 49 senators.

    It was learnt that at a meeting held by the PDP caucus on Sunday night in former Senate  President David Mark’s residence in Apo, Abuja, the divided PDP senators-elect and their governors were said to have threatened to draft one of them into the race if the APC failed to agree on a consensus candidate.

    Some of the PDP senators said to be rooting for Saraki allegedly suggested that they should forge a vibrant opposition on Tuesday by voting against the APC consensus choice as a signal of what form of opposition to expect in the Senate in the new dispensation.

    The PDP senators were said to have contended that voting against APC’s preferred candidate would signpost a resolute stand to keep the PDP alive.

    A source at the meeting said a former principal officer in the Seventh Senate was the brain behind the proposal.

    The source said most of the senators disagreed vehemently with the suggestion.

    Those opposed to the suggestion, it was learnt, averred that toeing the line of action would only serve the interest of a few, particularly the governors, rather than that of the PDP as a party.

    The source noted that most of the senators agreed that “we should wait and see what the APC senators will come up with”.

    He said: “The surprise of the night was that some of the governors who former President Goodluck Jonathan laboured to install were those at the vanguard of the Saraki project, a man who practically destroyed PDP.

    “Most senators at the meeting viewed supporting Saraki as robbing Peter to pay Paul.

    “They contended that it will be bad politics to reward a man who took up arms against his party, destroyed it and moved to build another one.”

    The meeting was said to have ended without the Senators taking a final decision on who to back for Senate president.

    A former acting National Publicity Secretary of PDP Chief Bode Ojomu, yesterday warned the party against supporting any of its defectors from either being the Senate President or the Speaker.

    Another source said: “At the end of the day, we could not agree on bloc votes for any of the candidates for the Senate and House of Representatives. Governor Fayose pleaded with party leaders to see the battle as one between the PDP and Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. He begged the party to ‘clip’ Tinubu’s  wings.

    “But some senators-elect warned Fayose against going personal. They queried the morality behind PDP supporting candidates who defected from the party to the APC. They alleged that their defection led to the defeat of PDP at the polls.

    “The governors were also split on who to back for the National Assembly offices.”

    “At the end of the day, we could not reach a consensus on casting our votes en bloc for either of the candidates. I can tell you that everyone is on his own.”

    The difficulty in arriving at a consensus has created an upset in Saraki’s camp.

    It was gathered that those who are pro-Saraki were trying to strengthen the accord between their candidate and the immediate past Deputy President of the Senate, Chief Ike Ekweremadu.

    The latest plot will lead to Saraki dumping Senator Ali Ndume as his favourite for Deputy President of the Senate.

    Another source added: “They will continue to sell a dummy to Ndume that he will be Deputy President of the Senate if Saraki gets the ticket.

    “But as soon as Saraki wins, they will nominate Ekweremadu who is expected to deliver the bloc votes of the Senators-elect from the SouthEast in collaboration with Senator Andy Uba.”

    Uba and Ekweremadu could not be reached for comments last night.

    It was gathered that the collapse of consensus by PDP has created a serious setback for Yakubu Dogara who is seeking to contest for Speaker of the House of Representatives with the party’s candidate, Femi Gbajabiamila.

    Dogara could only garner support from 55 out of the 209 APC members-elect for the House of Representatives.

    Another source said: “Dogara had banked on permutations that 120 PDP members-elect will vote for him but his hope was dashed last night by the split in the party.

    “In fact, to earn the support of PDP, he was mandated to mobilise at least 70 members-elect from the APC. But Dogara is stranded as he could only secure the backing of 55 members-elect from the APC.

    “As it is now, the moves to frustrate Gbajabiamila’s aspiration have failed. This is why they have resorted to blackmail and wild-chase in the court.

    “Some pro-Dogara members-elect were also last night whipping up religious sentiments to set the core North against the party’s candidate.”

    Ojomu warned the PDP against supporting any of its defectors from either being the Senate President or the Speaker.

    He said those who defected from PDP to APC could not turn back to the party they decimated for succour.

    Ojomu, in a statement, warned the PDP against playing politics of “pay back time” against the APC.

    The statement said: “It is worrisome to observe that many of those who walked out were former PDP members who joined the APC and are acting out exactly the same script of ‘give a dog a bad name to hang it’ adopted as strategy to exit from the PDP for their safe landing in the APC.

    “Today, by their actions and inactions alongside, other several factors left PDP comatose and one wonders if everybody acted like them who will be PDP senators and House of Representatives members to be now courted to defend their interest for victory at all cost against their ruling party’s official position.

    “They decimated the PDP and now want to rely on it as strength to climb to number three and four in our nation. That’s crass opportunism and the PDP leaders in the Red and Green Chambers should not provide themselves as ready tools for self-serving pursuits.

    “Strengthening party supremacy, party discipline, national stability and cohesion in government are the gains of PDP in National Assembly, standing firm that any political party official position or policy shall stand.

    “Nigeria needs men of stable character. After all, those who stand for nothing fall for anything. The men and women that constitute the Nigeria’s Legislature must stand for something and in these circumstances it is principled position on party supremacy, notwithstanding that the former A.C.N botched that principle in the choice of speakership in 2011.“

    Ojomu said the APC had the right to put forward those who should be on its platform in the National Assembly leadership.

    The statement said: “Let it be noted that if the party was ever right to sponsor senatorial/House of Representatives candidate for election, it must also be right to determine who to put forward on its platform.

    “No responsible political party in a democratic process that outlaws individual, independent candidate for elective offices will abdicate its historical and natural responsibility to present a sole candidate for each of the NASS Principal Offices.

    “It will be unconventional for APC to watch helplessly for its members to contest in a free for all manner in the Red and Green Chambers.

    “The gladiators need to drop sophistry in their argument and be educated that there is nothing undemocratic in the ruling party adopted open balloting process as opposed to secret balloting that was preferred by contending parties. Option A4 adopted in the Third Republic with SDP and NRC was adjudged one of the best democratic processes this country has ever witnessed. You queue behind your preferred candidate or party.”