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Tag: Senator Abu Ibrahim

Tinubu greets Senator Abu Ibrahim at 80

• ‘He’s a principled statesman, trusted ally’

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has extolled the virtues of his longtime friend and ally, Senator Abu Ibrahim.

The President described him as a “principled statesman and trusted ally whose wisdom, loyalty, and service to Nigeria have inspired many”.

In a heartfelt tribute to mark Senator Ibrahim’s 80th birthday today, President Tinubu said the former lawmaker’s enduring commitment to democracy, progressive politics, and national unity has left a lasting imprint on Nigeria’s political landscape.

“Abu has been more than a friend. He is my brother,” the President said, recalling their first encounter in the Senate chambers in 1992 during the aborted Third Republic.

Tinubu, then representing Lagos West, served under the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP), while Ibrahim represented Katsina South under the National Republican Convention (NRC).

The President noted that their friendship and political partnership, anchored on shared ideals of justice, good governance, and democratic advancement, had always transcended political affiliations.

Commending Senator Ibrahim’s courage during the struggle for democracy, President Tinubu recounted their joint resistance against military rule following the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election.

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“He stood in the line of fire when we reconvened the Senate in Lagos to condemn the criminal annulment. Our defiance earned us weeks in detention. When the authorities released him and left the rest of us, Abu refused to leave, insisting we all be freed together,” the President wrote.

President Tinubu also highlighted Senator Ibrahim’s re-election to the Senate in 2003 and 2011, crediting it to his democratic credentials and service to his Katsina South constituents.

He acknowledged Ibrahim’s pivotal role in the formation and consolidation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2013 and his consistent advocacy for peace and national unity within the party.

“As a patriot, Abu has lived a life of dedication to public service and the pursuit of a greater Nigeria,” the President said, adding that Ibrahim’s support during the 2023 presidential campaign and continued counsel since the advent of the Renewed Hope administration remain invaluable.

President Tinubu prayed to God for the celebrant’s good health and strength to continue his service to the nation, describing his life as one of steadfast loyalty, courage, and uncommon patriotism.

October 28, 2025
Senate to NLC: shelve minimum wage strike

The Senate on Monday pleaded with Organised Labour to shelve its planned nationwide industrial action over a new minimum wage in the interest of the masses.

The Upper Chamber said the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and its sister organisations should drop the proposed strike because findings showed that President Muhammadu Buhari is working to convince states to pay the new wage.

Chairman Senate Committee on Labour, Senator Abu Ibrahim, noted the negotiation for a new salary structure is basically for the federal and state governments to conclude since they are to implement resolutions.

He said the Senate can only intervene if there is serous disagreement that required the input of the legislature.

He insisted it is obvious Buhari is working round the clock trying to convince states to agree to pay the proposed new minimum wage.

The committee chairman added that labour unions are Nigerians who could also appreciate the financial state of the states.

He noted that it is equally evident that “there is no way, a state like Lagos can pay an amount and you expect some other states to pay like Lagos.”

The Katsina South lawmaker added: “President Buhari has been a salary earner and he knows how the workers feel and I am sure he would be on the sides of the workers.”

He noted that what is needed is harmonisation and understanding on both sides to reach a middle ground.

On the transmission of a new minimum wage bill to the National Assembly for passage into law, Ibrahim said that it should not lead to strike since the federal government can transmit the agreement “but must carry the states along.”

He noted the federal government cannot act unilaterally especially if states refused to go along with the federal government on what to pay.

He said: “The federal government can pay but how many of the states can pay? Will the federal government continue to assist the states to pay the N30, 000?

“Even if the agreement is transmitted, it has to pass through the committee and the committee would work on it and follow all the processes before the Senate can finally decide and pass the law.”

January 7, 2019
State police will only work for local issues —Senator Abu Ibrahim

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Police Affairs, Senator Abu Ibrahim, on Friday said that State Police can only work for local issues like arrest of local thieves and security.

According to him, national elections and other issues would be beyond State police when created.

He spoke with State House correspondents after observing Jumat prayer at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Expressing his reservations about the creation of state police, he said: “I have my reasons. I am Chairman, Senate Committee on Police Affairs and I have made a lot of research on the issue of state police and regional police. It was on before, there was a Willink Commission in 1954 which decided for fear of minorities not to allow regional police.

“Of course, if you want to do state police, you may do it but it must be confined to specific aspect of law enforcement, you can take away things like national elections but probably local issues, arrest of local thieves, local control of security, but it must be limited.” he said

On the declaration by the SGF that President Buhari will contest, he said “Well, SGF is SGF, so he has better ears of the President than me, so they might have discussed. But I think President Buhari has started a lot of good things for this country and he needs second term to continue to consolidate what he has achieved so far and I am in support.

Asked whether senators will support Buhari, he said “Well, senators are senators but I know the majority will do so. All the promises he has made about anti corruption, security, he has finished Boko Haram although there are lingering security problems now which I am sure he is taking serious action to stop.”

Speaking on the report of El Rufai Committee on restructuring, the senator said, “This is going to the party and the party will most likely pass it to the Senate or the National Assembly but what I realised from my investigation is that, there is serious opposition to state police from the National Assembly and that is as a result of the relationship between some governors and their National Assembly members.

“They feel they are not handling local government elections democratically let alone if they have state police. So obviously if the governors want that portion to pass, they must have good relationship with the National Assembly members.

According to him, the alteration of the sequence of election by the National Assembly has not created any problem but democracy in action. He however, pointed out that the amendment done so far is illegal.

“First, the amendment of the sequence of the election was passed from the House. When we set for harmonisation, the House version was adopted. But those of us who are old in this chamber know that it was absolutely illegal. If you look at Section 72 of the constitution, it is clear that it is INEC that is mandated to fix date, already INEC has fixed date and nobody can change it.

“There was a legal case in 2003 during Obasanjo’s regime, when the National Assembly passed a law to hold all elections in one day. That matter went to court because Obasanjo refused to sign it, they over ruled his veto by two-third, then INEC went to court.

“Court in its jurisdiction declared that nobody can interfere with INEC. That was upheld by court of appeal and we didn’t go to Supreme Court, so it stopped there. Therefore, that judgement is still subsisting that nobody can interfere with the functions of INEC in terms of fixing dates of elections.

“Now, I learnt the committee erroneously used the aborted constitutional amendment which was made in 2014.

He described as the alteration as ” too costly” and stated further that: “Look at the amount of money that will be spent, where will you get that amount of money, what about the timing?

“It will expose some of our colleagues to danger. If you have a senator alone will contest the election, he must pay his agents, he must pay for security, he must pay for everything. And if he is afraid of his governor, his governor is now free to deal with him.

“Of course if he contest together with the president as put by INEC, for the presidential election, the security aspect, even the funding, will cover him up. So, obviously my colleagues have not thought much on this issue. It is not legal at all.” he said

February 17, 2018
No crack in Buhari support groups, says Senator

The Coordinator National Committee for Buhari Support Groups, Senator Abu Ibrahim, Monday dismissed insinuation of a crack in the groups.

Senator Ibrahim, who represents Katsina South Senatorial District, also described as “insulting” the allusion that his committee was going round collect money from governors.

He noted that the aim of his committee was to stimulate all Buhari support groups for a common purpose as was the case before the 2015 general elections.

Ibrahim who is also Chairman, Senate Committee on Police Affairs, said that there were over 198 groups that worked for President Buhari before 2015 elections out of which about 23 had national spread.

He said that the talk of a crack was the handiwork of political jobbers who wanted to create a non-existent crack.

Insisting that there is nothing like crack in his group, the four time senator noted that the group condemning them is affiliated with the All Progressives Congress (APC) while they are not.

On the stigmatization that the support group was moving round collecting money from governors, he noted that apart from Katsina Governor, Aminu Masari, who assisted them, the group has not received a dime from any other governor in the country.

He said, “It is insulting to claim that I went out to collect money. I am a fourth time senator and I am too big to go round and be asking for money. It was only one governor who assisted us and that is Bello Masari of Katsina State.

“When he saw what we were doing, he assisted us. That is the only person I know who gave us donations. If there is any governor who gave us money, let him speak up.

“People are going round to collect money and they think we are like them. How can one retired ambassador tell me who has won elections four times that he is a better politician than me?

“That is a bloody lie. These people are political jobbers. They are the ones going round and collecting money. They think we are doing the same thing and going into their market. We are not.”

Asked to talks of a crack in the Buhari support groups Ibrahim said “First, I think there is a misconception. I have known Buhari for almost forty years. That is since my secondary school days. I have known him since he started playing politics. So, I know him personally. I know his political platform very well. After the 2015 elections, I went to the President and told him something.

“I told him that he is the only most popular Nigerian to have won elections since the formation of Nigeria. Buhari won in almost every part of Nigeria.

“From my understanding, there are thousands of support groups that aided his election. I told him that we should not allow them to dissipate.

“I am giving you a brief history of a meeting I had with Buhari almost two years or over I think. So, he thought it was a good idea. We decided to determine those who are around and determined. He agreed. We went to all the 39 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

“I first went to someone, but I will not mention his name. He gave me two people to work with. I told the two people that I needed them to go all over the states and determine these groups.

“They took the names of all the existing Buhari support groups. Even some in Hausa were also compiled. When we finished, I took the list to Buhari. That was how we agreed that we should set up something like a committee to always talk to these support groups. That was how we came up with the name National Committee for Buhari Support Group.

“When we started collating the names, the President fell sick. But we continued. We went to almost all the geopolitical zones. We also did something to showcase Buhari’s achievements and promises he has made during the campaign which he has fulfilled.

“We did something on anti-corruption, insurgency and economy. This documentary was aired on television and radio stations. The essence of reactivating this group was because we felt we could use them to showcase the achievements of the government. It was this report that we went to submit to President Buhari that Friday. He appreciated it. We did not create anything new. We are helping the APC and not in contradiction with the party.

Reminded that Buhari is a member of the APC, he snapped, “What about Kwankwaso? Is he not a member of APC? He is grooming to be a President. What about Atiku? Is he not also running for the same office? We are looking out for Buhari’s groups that ensured he won. We want to appreciate them. We want to utilise them and use them for government campaigns if need be. We have not discussed the issue of 2019 yet.”

On whether the groups are being reactivated for 2019 elections he said, ”They are not. I have told you that these groups did not just start today. They worked for us in 2015 and we are only appreciating them now.

“At the beginning of the administration, we thought it will be wise to appreciate the people who worked for us. There are over 198 groups. About 23 had national spread, while the rest were local. There is a misconception that this was done because of 2019. That assertion is wrong. As I have said, we ought to have done this earlier, but the President took ill and was down for about six months. That slowed it down, but we did not stop.”

On the report that he has been tipped as a minister, Ibrahim said that nobody has told him of his nomination as a minister.

He however added that every senator and member of House of Representatives is qualified to be minister “but nobody has told me anything.”

November 13, 2017
Buhari: Senator donates Qur’an for for prayers

Sen. Abu Ibrahim (APC- Katsina) on Saturday in Musawa, his home town, organised marathon prayer sessions for President Muhammadu Buhari, who is on medical vacation in London.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the prayers, which were offered in batches, were led by reputable Islamic scholars from 11 local government areas in the senatorial district with thousands of residents in attendance.

Ibrahim, who is the Senate Committee Chairman on Police Affairs, said President Buhari needed prayers not only for good health, but for divine guidance and protection as well.

He said as far as the President’s health was concerned, there was no cause for alarm.

He said based on available information, “the President is in high spirits’’.

Ibrahim requested preachers, scholars, school teachers, women and community-based groups to continued to pray for the President.

The senator said he decided to join others to organise the prayers for the President based on his realisation of the need for citizens to continually pray for their leaders.

According to him, the nation is undergoing positive change under Buhari’s leadership.

He said as such, Buhari “needs our encouragement, support and prayers for him to succeed in building a better Nigeria”.

Ibrahim announced a donation of 100 copies of the Holy Qur’an to each of the 11 local government areas in zone to facilitate constant prayers for the President and offered scholarship to 30 children from each local government area in zone.

He also said that he had begun the drilling of 750 wash bores to facilitate irrigation, adding that 750 water pumping machines would be distributed to selected farmers across the 11 local government areas.

The senator said he had provided 82 motorcycles to be distributed to supporters and sewing machines to be distributed to female Islamic school tutors to enhance their capacities.

He added that three persons would be selected from each of the wards in the district to go for skill acquisition training after which they would each be given N20, 000 marching grants.

Ibrahim also inaugurated the treatment of 2,000 persons with eye-related illnesses.

He said 500 of them would get recommended glasses while 300 persons would undergo glaucoma surgery.

According to him, a committee chaired by the Zonal Chairman of APC, Alhaji Bala Abu, would be responsible for equitable distribution of the items donated.

In his remarks, the state governor, Aminu Masari, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Alh. Bello Mandia, applauded the senator for his courage.

He said the state government planned to organise similar prayer sessions for the President in Katsina. (NAN)

February 25, 2017
Buhari not sick, only exhausted, says Senator Ibrahim

The Senator representing Katsina South, Senator Abu Ibrahim, has said that contrary to insinuations about the health of President Muhammadu Buhari, he is not sick but merely exhausted by the various challenges the government is confronted with.

He told reporters at the National Assembly lobby that those spreading the rumour that President Buhari is sick missed the point.

Senator Ibrahim said that he is constantly in touch with President Buhari and was actually with him the day he left the country.

The Katsina South lawmaker said that every Nigerian is aware of the zeal and passion President Buhari came into office with.

He reeled out issues that might have taken a toll on the President including destruction of oil pipe line that reduced production to almost half, fall in oil price that affected the economy and led to recession, and the falling exchange rate that has affected the purchasing power of most Nigerian.

He said that some of those talking about the falling exchange rate fail to also talk about what led to weak Naira against the Dollar.

Senator Ibrahim who insisted that “President Buhari will soon come back” noted that there was no need for Nigerians to be unduly apprehensive “because Mr. President is not sick but exhausted by the weight of the problems the country is going through.”

Nigerians, he added, should rather continue to pray for the President to come home and continue his work to put the country in a better footing.

He said that Nigerians have the right to list what they wanted the President to do when he is back home.

February 7, 2017
Why recruitment of 10,000 police ran into hitch – Senator

Chairman, Senate Committee on Police Affairs, Senator Abu Ibrahim, Thursday said that the proposed recruitment of 10,000 police personnel by the Federal Government was suspended due to sharp disagreement over the criteria for the recruitment.

Senator Ibrahim told reporters in Abuja while some stakeholders wanted local government areas to be the basis for the recruitment exercise; others insisted that equality of states should serve as the basis for the exercise.

The Katsina South lawmaker said that there were also some legal impediments to the exercise.

He noted that some people felt that the police should recruit from Inspectorate cadre downwards while the Police Service Commission should issue letters of appointment to the recruits.

He said that the issues had not been fully resolved hence the temporary suspension of the recruitment exercise.

Ibrahim who said that President Muhammadu Buhari, has already intervened in the disagreement assured that within a week the issue would be resolved.

He noted that there was no truth in the speculation that the National Assembly wanted to take over the recruitment.

He said, “Honestly, it (recruitment exercise) has to be suspended for two obvious reasons. First, everybody knows that it was agreed that this recruitment must be done per local government.

“The reason for that is that we are poised to give emphasis to community policing. The local governments are the smallest recognised units by the constitution. So nine (recruits) per local government, they will form the nucleus for this community policing per local government.

“The obstacle was equal per state. Some people felt that it is not representative of federal character.

“I asked them what about what is happening in the National Assembly, in which the number of person per state in the House of Representatives is by the size of the local governments of that state, why the Senate is by equality of state.

“But even that is not the main argument. The main argument is that the police is divided into divisional units under a Divisional Police Officer (DPO).. Most of these DPO are current with the local government areas.

“Therefore, if the police want the recruitment to be based on local governments, they are right because the smallest units are the Divisional Police Units (DPU).

Now, the commission somehow decided differently, and police also decided differently. So that is the first issue. The second issue is the issue of

“There is even this legal aspect that the police should recruit from Inspectors downwards, and the commission approves and gives letters of appointment.

“This is another area of conflict.

“But the president has intervened and probably, within the next one week, final decision will be taken on what should be done.

“But the main issues are these disagreements. Police say it is per local government, while the commission says it should be per state.

“And we are saying the recruitment should be per local government for the recruits and the rank and files, while the officers should be equality per state.

“This is because the officers’ cadres go anywhere, but these rank and files, we want them to remain in their communities to form the nucleus of community policing.

“So these are very serious disagreement that we have seen and the president has now waded in.

“They are going to find us a position that we are going to take on this recruitment.

“I hear some rumours that the National Assembly wants to take over the recruitment. How can we do that?

“Those who don’t want this thing to go on are saying it is against federal character, which kind of federal character when we are talking of community policing.

“After all, the DPUs are they based on federal character. It is by size and population. And there is even a requirement of thirty thousand persons per police officer.

“That is not true, how can we take over when we are not part of the executive. And does he take instruction from me.

“I told him my reservations and advised him that he should suspend it until these things are sorted out.

“The National Assembly cannot do the recruitment but we have interest on how it is done. That is part of our oversight function. It is not correct, it is just rumour.

“How can you do community policing if for example, a state like Bayelsa with eight local governments you give them 240 policemen and Kano with forty four local governments, you give them two hundred and forty policemen.

“How can they have community policing because there in Bayelsa, they will have 30 policemen per local government but in Kano they will have five or four per local government.

“Is it the samething. And this community policing is something that will save Nigerian police because we believe that if we have community policing, people will be more committed.

“There will be less corruption, synergy between the people in the area will be much better and they will be much better to fight crime.

“So, it did not just come out of the blues that it should be based on local governments’ basis.”

October 13, 2016
Senate seeks use of biometric identification for criminal records

Chairman, Senate Committee on Police Affairs, Senator Abu Ibrahim, Tuesday said that the Crime and Criminal Tracking System Bill, which seeks to provide for the design, development, installation and management of a robust crime and criminal tracking system for the Nigeria Police would enhance national security.

Senator Ibrahim said that criminal tracking system would work through automation of criminal records with biometric identification information for background security checks, crime investigation and prosecution and counter – terrorism and for related matters.

The Katsina South lawmaker spoke at a public hearing on Crime and Criminal Tracking System Bill and the Traffic Warden Bill which seeks to Repeal section 59-69 of the Police Act Cap 359 Laws of the federation of Nigeria 1990 and to re-enact the Traffic Warden Service which shall be responsible for the appointment, promotion and discipline of traffic Wardens, issuance of certificate of appointment and discharge and for other related matters.

These bills, he said, couldn’t have come at any other better time other than now considering the increasing threats to security in the country.

He said, ‘The Senate especially this Committee is committed toward the provision of adequate legal framework for effective policing and crime control in our society.

“The bills when passed will certainly help in enhancing in-depth investigation of crime and control in the country.”

He noted that the public hearing will afford all the invited stakeholders and members of the public a very good opportunity to make their contributions on bills to enable the Senate pass the bills into Law.

June 7, 2016