The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Senators

  • Why I withdrew from senatorial race, by Agoda

    Why I withdrew from senatorial race, by Agoda

    A former member of the Federal House of Representatives and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senatorial aspirant for the October 5 Delta Central by-election, Halims Agoda, has vowed to support the consensus candidate of the party.

    He said as a party stalwart, he was bound by the decisions of the party both at the state and federal levels, vowing to massively support any candidate the party would present for the election.

    Agoda, a three-term federal legislator representing Ethiope Federal Constituency on the platform of PDP, made the declaration while addressing his supporters and some PDP leaders from the eight local government areas of the central at his country home in Jesse, Ethiope West Local Government Area.

    He said his withdrawal from the race had nothing to do with his competence for the task, but as a result of his respect for the decision reached by organs of the party.

    He revealed that his decision was formed by series of meeting and consultations with Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan and leaders of the party who prevailed on him to work with a consensus candidate from Ughelli Federal constituency to complete the tenure of late Senator Pius Ewherido.

    Senator Pius Akpor Ewherido, who died on June 30 at the National Hospital Abuja, hails from Ughelli South Local Government Area.

    Agoda said: “For the election of the senate that is coming up next month, I participated actively, but the we (aspirants) have been addressed that Ughelli/Udu Federal Constituency where our son, Senator Ewherido (who has gone to the great beyond) comes from to have their tenure completed.

    “And such decision taken by the party I will respect it. I have given my firm commitment to the party that I will work for whosoever the candidate may be.

    “Whosoever the party might present, we will work for that person. Whoever the governor of this state and federal government shall present we would all work for that person, because we know the party will put down a credible person. So, on behalf of my people; I am pledging that we will deliver that person when the time comes.”

    “We would not want the election to be tensed, but we should be able to explain to people what the PDP-led government at local, state and federal government levels have done in the past and what is on the pipe line for the people. From now till the election time, I am going to be here to support the party’s candidate. We will work together as one big party and as a family,” he promised.

     

     

  • Diplomatic passport: Senators, Reps still on eligibility list

    Diplomatic passport: Senators, Reps still on eligibility list

    DESPITE the row over moves to review issuance of diplomatic passports by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), there were indications yesterday that senators and members of the House of Representatives are still on the eligibility list.

    The Presidency, however, alleged that the House of Representatives actually initiated the process to review issuance of diplomatic passports in 2012 because of abuse by some Nigerians.

    Also, the NIS through its Public Relations Officer, Chukwuemeka Obua (CSI) yesterday said the Immigration Service was yet to receive directive from the Federal Government to review the guidelines for diplomatic passports.

    Members of the National Assembly are still on eligibility list, it was learnt.

    A source in Immigration Service said: “We have not tampered with eligibility list at all. By our records, members of the National Assembly are still on the list of beneficiaries of diplomatic passports.

    “We have had cases of abuse but they had nothing to do with Assembly members.

    “We need to clarify this because we do not want a crisis between the Executive and the Judiciary.”

    A source in the presidency, who spoke with our correspondent, said it was the House of Representatives which initiated the review of the process of issuing diplomatic passports in 2012.

    The source added: “In 2012, the House Committee on Interior organised a public hearing on a bill seeking to amend Passport (Miscellaneous Provision) Act Cap. P1 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

    “The lawmakers wanted the list of diplomatic Passport holders to be scaled down. The legislators also demanded a reduction of the discretionary powers of the President to issue diplomatic passports to any Nigerian.

    “Actually at the hearing, the Chairman, House Committee on Interior, Bature Umar said some holders of diplomatic passports had abused the privilege. He said there was need to review the process of its acquisition.

    Bitrus Kaze (PDP Plateau), who also spoke at the hearing, said “the amendment is just to situate those suitable.”

    “So, where is the fault of the presidency? Why are they now crying over what they initiated? All those who participated at the hearing are alive. Nigerians should speak with them.”

    The Nigeria Immigration Service, through Obua (CSI) yesterday said it was yet to receive directive from the Federal Government to review the guidelines for diplomatic passports

    The statement said: “For the avoidance of doubt, the NIS wishes to categorically sate that extant guidelines on the issuance of such travel documents have not been changed and are firmly in place.

    “No instruction has been received to review the guidelines to target any segment or category of Nigerians. Members of the National Assembly are being issued Diplomatic passports upon application.

    “The NIS hereby urges all to endeavour to cross check very sensitive matters such as this before rushing to press to avoid heating up the polity and causing unnecessary disaffection.

    “We are committed to acting professionally in the performance of our statutory duties under the guidance of relevant laws and guidelines.”

     

  • PDP crisis: Senators, Reps may lose diplomatic passports

    PDP crisis: Senators, Reps may lose diplomatic passports

    There is no let up in the war of attrition wracking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as it has emerged the Federal Government is set to withdraw diplomatic passports issued to all members of the National Assembly – 109 senators and 360 members of the House of Representatives.

    The Presidency has directed the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) to “review” the diplomatic passports of the legislators.

    The move, sources say, is one of the strategies to “whip Senators and Representatives” into line and secure their loyalty.

    Following the eruption of the crisis in the ruling party, government has been uncomfortable with the romance between the ‘New PDP’ faction led by one-time Acting National Chairman, Abubakar Kawu Baraje and the opposition in the National Assembly.

    Besides the disruption last week of the visit of Group of Seven (G-7) governors and Baraje faction to the National Assembly, as well as the sacking of the Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Joy Emordi, the ongoing review of the diplomatic passports is said to be part of a crackdown on the ‘disloyal’ members of the National Assembly.

    The present exclusive travel document carried by the lawmakers is a product of an executive memo issued by the late President Umaru Yar’Adua in 2008 directing the NIS to grant members of the National Assembly diplomatic passports. The passports were, however, to be automatically withdrawn after the tenure of the holders in the National Assembly.

    Although the NIS had always been finding it difficult to retrieve the diplomatic passports from former members of the Assembly, the privilege had been “major bait” being used by the Executive to stabilise its relationship with the lawmakers.

    Sources within the administration told The Nation on Sunday that the Presidency was uncomfortable with what they referred to as the “treacherous attitude” of certain members of the National Assembly – particularly those who have openly pitched their tent with ‘New PDP’.

    Some principal officers of the National Assembly have been informed of plans to review the diplomatic passports of members. “I am aware that the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal and some principal officers have been informally notified,” one lawmaker who craved anonymity said.

    A few members of the House who were shocked at the turn of events believe government was hiding under the supposedly wholesale review to target anti-presidency lawmakers.

    “We learnt the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Nigeria Immigration Service have been put on notice over plans to review issuance of diplomatic passports”, the source said. “It is an issue we are going to discuss at the Executive Session after we have returned from our one week oversight function.

    “Since we started using diplomatic passports, the National Assembly has not recorded any case of abuse. We don’t know why the Presidency is trying to score political points with this.”

    A senior official in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who spoke in confidence, however, denied knowledge of the development. “It may interest you to know that our ministry has nothing to do with the issuance of diplomatic passport. In fact, if I want a diplomatic passport, my ministry would have to write the Nigeria Immigration Service to issue it to me.

    “Do leave this ministry out of this issue; we have no role to play,” he said.

    At the Immigration office a senior official who promised to clarify the matter by Monday morning, however, raised question as to the propriety of issuing the special travel documents to the legislators in the first place.

    “Are members of the National Assembly entitled to diplomatic passports at all?” he asked. “Go and look at the convention guiding the issuance of diplomatic passports all over the world. The truth is, members of the National Assembly do not belong to the category of people that should carry diplomatic passport.

    “It is only in Nigeria we have this kind of nonsense. People want immunity for notorious reasons. I know some big men go about with diplomatic passports. When I was working at the airport, I was shocked when I saw a rogue with one. We should learn to do things in line with international best practices.”

    Another Immigration officer said: “We have our records showing that the Premier of the defunct Western Region, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Premier of the former Northern Region, Sir Ahmadu Bello (the Sardauna of Sokoto) and the Premier of the defunct Eastern Region, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, did not use diplomatic passports while in office. Are any of these lawmakers in the class of these great leaders?”

    A brief obtained on issuance of diplomatic passports reads in part: “Diplomatic passports are official documents normally given to professional diplomats and ambassadors by their governments, to facilitate their work when they are on posting to foreign countries. Its issuance is governed by rules under the 1815 Congress of Vienna that formalised the exchange of diplomatic agents among states.

    “These rules are very restrictive and limit the issuance of diplomatic passports only to professional diplomats who are the personal representatives of their heads of state. Those to whom such passports are given are assumed to be persons of undoubted character and integrity.”

     

  • ‘Senators, Reps must respect contract with Nigerians’

    The Presidency yesterday urged members of the National Assembly to honour their social contract with Nigerians to enable the nation enjoy good governance.

    It said President Goodluck Jonathan was committed to his promise to ensure that budget estimates are submitted and passed early to make implementation begin at the beginning of the New Year.

    The Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Affairs, Senator Joy Emodi, said the National Assembly members should be focused on their duties to the nation.

    She spoke yesterday in Abuja when she welcomed senators and House of Representatives’ members back to the National Assembly after about eight weeks’ recess.

    Mrs Emodi said: “Importantly, distinguished senators and honourable members should hold fast to their mindset that they have a social contract with Nigerians to deliver on good governance and partner Mr President to transform Nigeria…

    “This social contract transcends partisanship. Therefore, party politics and intrigues should not be allowed to creep in to blemish the great work they have done so far.

    “Party platforms and intra-party interests may differ, but their social contract with the Nigerian people remains the same.

    “It is a contract that overrides party politics. The total loyalty and commitment of members of the National Assembly should as always, reside with the Constitution and the Nigerian people who elected them in the first place.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Senators, Reps, Speakers back Assembly

    Senators, Reps, Speakers back Assembly

    The National Assembly caucus of Taraba State and the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria (CSSLN) are in support of the Taraba State House of Assembly on its stand that Alhaji Garba Umar remains acting governor.

    They affirmed that while Mr.Danbaba Suntai is the undisputed governor,the State Assembly was constitutionally right to mandate Alhaji Umar to continue in office until Mr.Suntai is medically fit to resume.

    They warned external influences against exploiting the situation to the detriment of the people of the state.

    Addressing reporters at the House of Representatives yesterday, Senator Abubakar Tutare said the unfolding political melodrama in the state is unfortunate, shameful and uncalled for.

    Tutare was flanked by the House of Representatives Majority Whip, Ishaka Bawa, Ibrahim El Sudi and Aminu Malle, while Jerry Manwe, Albert Sam-Tsokwa and two Senators missed the briefing.

    The state has nine members in the National Aseembly made up of three Senators and six Representatives.

    Five members signed the statement of the position of the caucus.

    According to Tutare, being leaders that ought to have unbiased opinions, mature judgments and enlightened conscience, the state must be seen to be bigger and greater than one single individual or group of individuals.

    He said rather than be concerned about bringing development to the state, “we are busy politicking with the health of our amiable Governor His Excellency, Danbaba Suntai. Rather than uniting our people who are peace-loving, dynamic and enterprising, we are busy dividing them and creating unnecessary tension for selfish reasons.

    “Rather than praying for Governor Danbaba’s speedy recovery, we are busy scheming, outsmarting and outwitting each other for selfish aggrandizement or the unknown 2015.

    “As concerned Tarabans in the National Assembly, we sat and deliberated over the negative media hype pervading the already charged political atmosphere in the country and hereby plead with the various political gladiators within and outside Taraba to allow peace to prevail in the state.

    “Our position is that His Excellency Danbaba Danfulani Suntai is and remains the undisputed Executive Governor of Taraba State.

    “Alhaji Garba Umar should continue serving as Acting Governor as constitutionally enshrined until Governor Danbaba is convincingly fit to steer the affairs of the state.

    “Without prejudice to the legality or otherwise of the action of the members of the Taraba State House of Assembly, we hereby commend the bold, gallant, resolute and patriotic steps taken by the Taraba State House of Assembly under the leadership of the courageous Speaker, Haruna Tsokwa”.

    Besides, the federal lawmakers noted that the health and welfare of Suntai ought be of utmost importance to those who love the ailing governor, including the political gladiators, individuals and groups.

    They urged the Taraba State Government to continue to take responsibility of his health expenses and all other personal responsibilities as they may arise.

    While pleading with elder statesmen and highly placed persons from the state to, as a matter of urgency, converge to proffer solutions to the political impasse, the lawmakers advised external forces, unless for the purposes of bringing peace to the state, to desist from involving themselves in the affairs of the state.

    Similarly, the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria (CSSLN) said the decision of the Taraba State House of Assembly to ascertain the health status of Governor Suntai is in order and constitutional.

    The conference, however, urged the state assembly to stand firm on its decision.

    Chairman of the conference and Speaker of the Gombe State House of Assembly, Inuwa Garba, who spoke in Abuja yesterday also warned against external influences that might want to destabilise the state through the unfolding situation.

    He asked members of the state assembly to “stay firm in doing what is constitutionally right in the prevailing circumstance,” and all stakeholders to “resist any undue internal and external interference capable of creating religious, ethnic and political discord.”

  • Senators, Reps, Speakers back Assembly

    The National Assembly caucus of Taraba State and the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria (CSSLN) are in support of the Taraba State House of Assembly on its stand that Alhaji Garba Umar remains acting governor.

    They affirmed that while Mr.Danbaba Suntai is the undisputed governor,the State Assembly was constitutionally right to mandate Alhaji Umar to continue in office until Mr.Suntai is medically fit to resume.

    They warned external influences against exploiting the situation to the detriment of the people of the state.

    Addressing reporters at the House of Representatives yesterday, Senator Abubakar Tutare said the unfolding political melodrama in the state is unfortunate, shameful and uncalled for.

    Tutare was flanked by the House of Representatives Majority Whip, Ishaka Bawa, Ibrahim El Sudi and Aminu Malle, while Jerry Manwe, Albert Sam-Tsokwa and two Senators missed the briefing.

    The state has nine members in the National Aseembly made up of three Senators and six Representatives.

    Five members signed the statement of the position of the caucus.

    According to Tutare, being leaders that ought to have unbiased opinions, mature judgments and enlightened conscience, the state must be seen to be bigger and greater than one single individual or group of individuals.

    He said rather than be concerned about bringing development to the state, “we are busy politicking with the health of our amiable Governor His Excellency, Danbaba Suntai. Rather than uniting our people who are peace-loving, dynamic and enterprising, we are busy dividing them and creating unnecessary tension for selfish reasons.

    “Rather than praying for Governor Danbaba’s speedy recovery, we are busy scheming, outsmarting and outwitting each other for selfish aggrandizement or the unknown 2015.

    “As concerned Tarabans in the National Assembly, we sat and deliberated over the negative media hype pervading the already charged political atmosphere in the country and hereby plead with the various political gladiators within and outside Taraba to allow peace to prevail in the state.

    “Our position is that His Excellency Danbaba Danfulani Suntai is and remains the undisputed Executive Governor of Taraba State.

    “Alhaji Garba Umar should continue serving as Acting Governor as constitutionally enshrined until Governor Danbaba is convincingly fit to steer the affairs of the state.

    “Without prejudice to the legality or otherwise of the action of the members of the Taraba State House of Assembly, we hereby commend the bold, gallant, resolute and patriotic steps taken by the Taraba State House of Assembly under the leadership of the courageous Speaker, Haruna Tsokwa”.

    Besides, the federal lawmakers noted that the health and welfare of Suntai ought be of utmost importance to those who love the ailing governor, including the political gladiators, individuals and groups.

    They urged the Taraba State Government to continue to take responsibility of his health expenses and all other personal responsibilities as they may arise.

    While pleading with elder statesmen and highly placed persons from the state to, as a matter of urgency, converge to proffer solutions to the political impasse, the lawmakers advised external forces, unless for the purposes of bringing peace to the state, to desist from involving themselves in the affairs of the state.

    Similarly, the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria (CSSLN) said the decision of the Taraba State House of Assembly to ascertain the health status of Governor Suntai is in order and constitutional.

    The conference, however, urged the state assembly to stand firm on its decision.

    Chairman of the conference and Speaker of the Gombe State House of Assembly, Inuwa Garba, who spoke in Abuja yesterday also warned against external influences that might want to destabilise the state through the unfolding situation.

    He asked members of the state assembly to “stay firm in doing what is constitutionally right in the prevailing circumstance,” and all stakeholders to “resist any undue internal and external interference capable of creating religious, ethnic and political discord.”

  • Senators don’t earn jumbo pay, says Ndoma-Egba

    Senators don’t earn jumbo pay, says Ndoma-Egba

    The highest paid senator does not earn more than N900,000 monthly basic salary, Senate Leader Victor Ndoma-Egba (SAN) has said.

    The senator said claims that lawmakers earn ‘jumbo’ salaries were not true, adding that he once earned N25,000 per month in the Senate.

    He said contrary to the figures peddled in the media, only five per cent of the national budget goes to the National Assembly.

    The lawyer wondered why Nigerians were not asking questions about how the remaining 95 per cent is utilised, adding that they are only being distracted from the real issues.

    Ndoma-Egba was responding to a presentation by Prof Nsongurua Udombana, at a programme organised by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Section on Public Interest and Development Law (SPIDEL) at the union’s ongoing Annual General Conference in Calabar, the Cross River State capital.

    Udombana, a professor of International Law, in a paper titled: Justice in Public Interest, said corruption has eaten up the country, while the hard work of the many is being lost to the selfish desires of a few.

    He criticised the National Assembly’s salary structure, which he said was among the highest in the world.

    According to him, as at 2009, a senator in Nigeria earned N240 million (about $1.7 million) in salaries and allowances, while his United States’ (U.S) counterpart earned $174,000 and his United Kingdom’s (U.K.) counterpart earned about $100,000 annually.

    But Ndoma-Egba said the tales about jumbo pay were more fictitious than real.

    “When I got to the Senate in 2003, my salary in the first three months was N25,000. I can tell you here that the highest paid senator in Nigeria earns not more than N900,000!

    “In the figure released recently, I am supposed to earn the same salary as a Supreme Court Justice and a minister, but their salaries are not called ‘jumbo pay’,” he said.

    Udombana, however, said the “jumbo pay” earned by lawmakers was unfair.

    According to him, corruption has become a counter-force to creativity with the dire consequences on the nation.

  • Governors for Senate, Senators for governor

    Politics is in the air. Ahead of the 2015 general elections, politicians have returned to the drawing board. Many governors want to go to the Senate. Many Senators and House of Representatives members want to become governors. Group Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU and Assistant Editor LEKE SALAUDEEN write on the ambitions of the governors and legislators and their implications for governance.

     

    It is the season of endorsement of aspirants for the governorship and Senate. Party supporters, cronies, and loyalists are part of the game being hatched to intimidate political opponents and convey real or imagined impression of political superiority. In some cases, crowds are rented to sing praises of the contenders. Traditional rulers, community leaders, women and youth groups, and clerics are also motivated to lend support. Across the six geo-political zones, the story is almost the same.

    Periodic elections are the primary gains of democratic political stability in this dispensation. The exercise creates opportunities for choice and change of leadership at the federal and state levels. Usually, the electoral process is a nightmare because of the struggle for few elective positions by many aspirants. The number of aspirants is inversely proportional to the number of the vacant slots. For governorship and federal parliamentary elections, the battle is fierce. Following the completion of a round of elections, the preparation for another round begins.

    In the United States of America (USA), which has set the pace for the practice of the presidential system, the practice is that governors and senators would want to become the President. In terms of hierarchy, the senator is senior to the governor. The reverse is the case in Nigeria. Many factors are responsible. The political culture of zoning, which is not backed by the 1999 Constitution, often excludes many governors from the presidential race, if it is not the turn of their geo-political zones. Yet, as party leaders in their respective states, the governors control the party structures. They personalise power and use their enormous financial muscles to a maximum advantage by dictating who gets what, where and how during elections. Since 2003, except in few instances, no governor, federal and state parliamentarian, minister and council chairman has emerged without the input and endorsement of the governor.

    Governors from the ruling parties are reluctant to serve under their colleague, the former governor-turned President, as ministers because a minister does not enjoy a permanent tenure. Since 2007, no former governor, who was appointed as a minister, stayed in the office for four years. The trend is that they ‘retire’ into the Senate as backbenchers. In 2007, the population of former governors in the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly was four. They are Senator Ahmed Yerima (Zamfara State), Senator Saminu Turaki (Jigawa), Senator Ken Nnamani (Enugu), and Senator Ahmed Adamu (Sasarawa) In 2011, it rose to 11 when former Governors Adamu Aliero (Kebbi), Bukola Saraki (Kwara), Ali Modu Sherif (Bornu), George Akume (Benue), Bukar Abba Ibrahim 1(Yobe) and Joshua Dariye (Plateau) were elected senators. However, in 2015, it may rise to 25.

    In the Second Republic, two senators, Cornelius Adebayo (Kwara) and Don. Etiebet (Cross River), blazed the trail, when they became governors in 1983. In 1999, Senator Bola Tinubu became Lagos State governor. In 2003, Senator Rashidi Ladoja became the governor of Oyo State. Now, Senators Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), and Liyel Imoke (Cross River) are governors.

    Many senators acknowledged that some former governors-turned senators have endowed their senatorial seats with honour and visibility. They have spoken without fear and exhibited maturity. For example, Senator Saraki blew the whistle on the oil subsidy saga. The activities of some of them have also ensure stability in the Senate and contributed to the effective management of crisis between the Presidency and National Assembly.

     

    Recycling leaders

    Political scientists have explained why politics, which is a vocation, has become a career for the ‘professional’ politicians. While some aspirants perceive their next political office as a call to service to the state, others perceive the corridor of power as an avenue for private accumulation. The former works hard to erect lasting legacies. The latter merely strives for relevance and pecks of office.

    A political scientist, Boniface Ayodele, reflected on the desire for upward political mobility by the senators and governors, stressing that the polity tended to permit a situation whereby leaders are recycled. He explained that African leaders are usually reluctant to leave power, pointing out that the 1999 Constitution, which specifies a definite tenure, is the saving grace for democracy. Ayodele alluded to a “cult of leadership,” which has made the polity to become a fiefdom dominated by certain powerful figures, who are entrenched in the system. “What is happening is elite circulation”, he said, adding that the entrenched powers have become the “gate keepers and gate closers” in the polity. “The governors are evolving political families created in their own image and it may be extremely difficult for anybody outside the circle to get into political office. As gate keepers, they prevent a lot from entering political offices; as gate closers, they shut the gate after admitting their men. The polity is dominated by power barons,” Ayodele stressed.

    The University of Ado-Ekiti teacher said the governors in the Senate may enjoy the tenure for a long time, since the Senate has no terminal tenure, until the time they may not be in the good book of their successors or when they are toppled as the leader of the political establishment in their respective states. “It has advantages and disadvantages. The governors in the senate may act as agents of political stability and compendium of knowledge of administration and governance. If the craving for wealth is not their goal, they can make impact as statesmen and fathers of the nation in the National Assembly. But some of them may also be firing salvos from the Senate to their governors and other competitors for power in their states, thereby creating tension”, Ayodele added.

    He lamented that the governors are now pre-occupied with their future ambitions than governance. He said: “When politicians win elections in Nigeria, they start to prepare for another election. Performance in office should be the creteria for upward political mobility. But it is no so in Nigeria.”

     

    Governors eyeing the Senate

    Akpabio

    The two-term governor of Akwa Ibom, Chief Godswill Akpabio, declared his senatorial ambition last year. He was the first Chief Executive to have unfolded his plan for the Senate. It sparked off a controversy. The incumbent Senator, Alloy Etuk, was said to have been enraged. But party sources said that Etuk was not on the dark from the beginning. He knew that the governor would definitely edge him out in 2015. Today, Akpabio is the political leader of Akwa Ibom State. He is loved by many people because of his developmental programmes. He is hated by the opposition and rivals in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Since the beginning of this year, various groups have been holding endorsement rallies to support his aspiration. Traditional rulers are not left out. His political profile is soaring because he has continued to advertise the “uncommon transformation”, which has endeared him to the people. Recently, Senator Etuk alleged that Akpabio unleashed his “hit squad” on him. He also alleged that he had been receiving threat text messages advising him to renounce his ambition for another term. But the governor dismissed the allegation as “paranoid, deceitful, baseless and mere hallucinations that serve no purpose”.

    Many also criticise Akpabio for opposing the decision of the former Secretary to Government, Okon Umana, to run for governor. They said that it is unfair, unjust and unkind for Akpabio to object to the ambition of Umana when he is working assiduosuly to realise his own ambition.

     

    Nyako

    Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State will complete his second term in two year’s time. Party chieftains confided that pressures may be put on him by his camp to contest for the Senate, so that he can remain relevant in the state. In 2007 when he became the governor, he did not nurse the ambition. But former President Olusegun Obasanjo advised him to declare his interest. The former President was looking for a strong man, who could assist in checkmating his deputy, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who hails from the state. Nyako, who was leading a PDP reconciliation team in the Southwest, accepted the challenge. The former military governor and Chief of Naval Staff was assisted by gthe Presidency to win the election. In 2011, he was re-elected. The combined forces of Atiku, Prof. Jubril Aminu and Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd), have failed to checkmate the governor.

    What is not certain is whether he will remain in the PDP to realise his senatorial ambition or contest on the platform of another political party. Nyako and other four PDP governors are alalegedly floating a new party, the Voice of the People (VOP). But, if he chooses to stay in the ruling party, it may be difficult for him to win the party’s ticket because of the war of attrition between him and the PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, who is also from Adamawa State.

     

    Shema

    Governor Ibrahim Shema is a pro-Jonathan governor. But sources said that eyes are on him as the North intensifies its agitation for power shift. He is loved by the Northern elders. But he is also President Jonathan’s ally. If the North fails in its push for power shift, the only option for political career advancement for the Katsina governor is the Senate. The governor of Katsina State is eyeing a senatorial seat in 2015.

    Shema was initially endorsed by the Presidency for the chairmanship of the troubled Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF). He is one of the few governors who have the ears of the President. Picking the PDP ticket for the senatorial election may not be a problem for him. The Katsina PDP is in his pocket. His greatest challenge is the growing popularity of the newly registered All Progressive Congress (APC). One of its leaders, General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), is an indigene of Katsina State.

     

    Wamakko

     

    Sokoto State Governor Aliyu Wamakko is among the five PDP governors pushing for reforms in the party. Fate had catapulted him to the number one seat from the position of the deputy governor in 2007. The PDP governorship candidate and former Water Resources Minister, Alhaji Mukthar Shagari, was persuaded by Obasanjo to step down for the ANPP defector. Wamakko is a man of few words. People who are close to him said that when he is annoyed, his anger is like that of the thunder. The governor is popular in the Northwest zone. When the PDP suspended him for ant-party activities few months ago, the entire zone rejected the punitive measure. It was a sort of popularity test for the governor. Party chieftains, including the Northwest zonal leader, Alhaji Ibrahim Kazaure, and House of Representatives Speaker Aminu Tambuwal, attended the solidarity rally held for him on his return from abroad. Tukur and President Jonathan saw the handwriting on the wall and retraced their steps. The suspension was lifted without delay. Wamakko and Senator Maccido will slug it out at the primaries, if the senator does not step down for the governor.

     

    Aliyu

    Ebullient and folk-tongued Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu is a controversial figure. The retired federal permanent secretary from Niger East is the Chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum. He had earlier declared his presidential ambition in a radio programme. He disclosed that President Jonathan signed an agreement with the PDP governors from the North that he would serve one term as a condition for endorsing his candidacy for the 2011 presidential election. The governor has not released the agreement to the press. He has also failed to clarify whether it is a written or oral agreement. But the Presidency has denied the existence of any agreement. Since Aliyu let the cat out of the bag, peace has continued to elude the biggest party in Africa. Yet, the experienced technocrat-turned politician cannot underrate the power of the Presidency. Sources said that the unfolding events within the PDP may have influenced Aliyu to change his mind on his presidential ambition. He is now said to be eyeing the Senate.

     

    Lamido

    Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa State is an experienced politician from the Jigawa Central. In the Third Republic, he was the National Secretary of the Social Democratic Party (SDP). In 1999, he became the Minister of Foreign Affairs. His second term as the governor will elapse on 2015. Lamido is not a politician that will quit the stage soon. He has presidential ambition. Obasanjo has tactically threw his weight behind him. The former President was in Dutse, the capital, to commission the projects completed by the governor at a time he was expected in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on ‘Democracy Day’ as the guest of President.

    Lamido is among the five PDP governors fighting the party. But there is no evidence that he will defect from the party. He is perceived as a performing governor because of his people-oriented projects. Party sources said that Jigawa Central will not object to his senatorial ambition in 2015.

     

    Suswam

    Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue State is eyeing the Benue Northeast Senatorial District. His senatorial ambition has pitched him against Senator Barnabas Gemade, who is interested in a second term. Suswam was in the House of Representatives when Gemade was the PDP national chairman. Now, the Benue Northeast PDP is polarised by the two gladiators. The last local government primaries was bloody. The supporters of the governor and senator clashed.

    Gemade’s supporters have accused the governor of mischief and conspiracy against his constituents. They said that he has disrespected Gemade, a party elder. But Suswam’s supporters have objected to the claim, saying that the men of the old order should vacate the stage for the younger ones.

    Suswam is one of the Jonathan “boys” in the Nigerian Governors Forum, Northern Governors Forum and PDP Governors’ Forum. Definitely, he has the backing of the President for his senatorial ambition. Analysts predict a tough senatorial shadow poll in the Benue Northeast District.

     

    Jang

    The latest information from Plateau State is that Governor Jonah is interested in representing the Plateau North Senatorial District at the National Assembly in 2015. This cannot be dismissed with a wave of the hand, judging by the fact that the governor agreed to become the factional NGF chairman, in a bid to become more relevant. Party insiders confide that Jang had perfected a smooth entry into the Senate when he sponsored his former Chief of Staff, Mr Gyang Pwajok, for the position last year, following the death of Senator Gyang Dantong. Observers say Pwajok is holding the position in trust for Jang. Jang’s tenure in the last six years has witnessed several ethno-religious crises, which led to the loss of many lives and property.

    Jang is at the centre of the NGF crisis. He lost the chairmanship election with 16 votes to Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, who polled19. Yet, Jank, who has the backing of the Presidency, claimed that he won.

     

    Chime

    Governor Sullivan Chime is likely to take over the Enugu senatorial seat occupied by the Senate Deputy President, Ike Ekweremadu. The incumbent senator is eyeing the Enugu Government House. It is a dicey situation. Both Chime and Ekweremadu are from the same district. The governor has maintained that the governorship should shift to Enugu North. If Chime and Ekweremadu decide to lock horns, it will be a messy race.

     

    Imoke

    Cross River State Governor Liyel Imoke had served as a senator and minister before he was elected as the governor in 2007. As he bows out in 2015, age will still be on his side. Party sources said that he is eyeing the Central District seat, which the Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba, had occupied since 2003. Many believe that Ndoma-Egba may not vie again, after spending 12 years in the Senate.

    Imoke, who represented the district between 1992 and 1993, may return to the Senate without a serious opposition from his party.

     

    Kwakwanso

    In the Third Republic, Musa Kwakwanso was the deputy speaker of the House of Representatives. Between 1999 and 2003, he was the governor of Kano State. He lost to Alhaji Ibrahim Shekarau of the ANPP in 2003. But former President Obasanjo made him the Minister of Defence. He regained the lost seat in 2011. He has not given hints about his next move, but sources close to him said that he is nursing senatorial ambition.

     

    Amaechi

    Contrary to speculations that Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi is nursing a vice presidential ambition, sources close to him said that the governor actually wants to go to the senate in 2015. That was before the PDP crisis engulfed his state.

     

    Alao-Akala

    Former Oyo State Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala is scheming to get the PDP senatorial ticket in the Oyo North District.. He will struggle for the ticket with his political associate, Senator Hosea Agboola, who is currently occupying the seat. Agboola was Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in the Alao-Akala Administration. Agboola, who hails from Okeogun area, is relying on the goodwill of his people and his philanthropy activities to retain the seat. But Alao-Akala believes his popularity as a former governor transcends Ogbomosho, his country home. The former governor is very active and he is the arrowhead of the polarised PDP chapter. President Jonathan has confidence in him. In fact, when it was impossible for former Governor Gbenga Daniel of Ogun State to properly coordinate the President’s campaign in the Southwest in 2011, he asked Alao-Akala to take over the role.

     

    Daniel

    Otunba Gbenga Daniel left power as the governor of Ogun State in 2011. When it was obvious that he would lose out in the power game with Obasanjo, President Jonathan advised him to conceed the governorship to Obasanjo camp, so that he could negotiate for the Ogun East senatorial ticket. The governor agreed.But when he tabled the matter before his associates, they kicked against it, saying that he had the power of incumbency to defeat Obasanjo and the ACN. It was a miscalculation. He lost out in the PDP. His PPN also failed at the polls. Today, Daniel is seeking refuge in the Labour Party (LP). He is said to be taking the previous advise given to him by the President seriously, but in a wrong manner. Will he achieve in the LP what he failed to achieve in the PDP? Time will tell.

     

    Federal legislators eyeinggovernorship

     

    The senators and House of Representatives members eyeing the governorship are not expected to resign from the National Assembly, when they become governorship candidates.

     

    Solomon

     

    Senator Ganiyu Solomon represents Lagos West District in the Senate. He declared his ambition to vie for the 2015 governorship election on the television, almost a year ago. He is the former Chairman of Mushin Council and member of House of Representatives. In 2007, former Lagos State Governor Tinubu opted out of the senatorial race and the ticket landed on Solomon’s palm. His ambition has caused a stir. Other aspirants who have not come out openly may have been relating to him as the number one rival. Solomon is not a baby politician in Lagos State. He has the network. He is also rooted in the grassroots. Many perceive him as a political mobiliser and a close associate of Asiwaju Tinubu. It is not the first time Solomon will be eyeing the governorship. In 2007, he was among the 14 Alliance for Democracy (AD) aspirants itching to succeed Tinubu. His supporters have started canvassing for open primaries for the aspirants. In 2015, Solomon will slug it out with the House of Assembly Adeyemi Ikuforiji, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, Mr Abiru, Femi Gbajabiamila, and Senator Gbenga Ashafa, if they join the race.

     

    Bamidele

     

    House of Representatives member from Ekiti Central Constituency and former Lagos State Commissioner for Information Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele has declared his intention to rule Ekiti State. Observers attribute the development in the Ekiti progressive camp to the personality clash between him and his compatriot, Governor Kayode Fayemi. Party sources said that the APC may prevail on the federal legislator to jettison the ambition to erace the impression that there is a crack on the wall, ahead of the poll.

     

    Akinlade

     

    Abiodun Akinlade, a member of the House of Representatives from Yewa (Ogun West), has declared his ambition for the governorship. The former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain became a legislator in 2011 on the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). He is now a chieftain of the APC. Akinlade unfolded his plan to rule the Gateway State at a time Governor Amosun is seeking re-election. A chieftain of the APC in Ogun State, Otunba Deinde Banjo, said that Akinlade is joining the race without sparing a thought for the political developments in the state. He said that it will be difficult for him to defeat Amosun at the primaries because the governor has lived to expectation. The legislator has objected to this. He said he will perform better than the governor, if elected. Akinlade maintained that power should shift to Yewaland, claiming that no indigene of the old Egbado Division has occupied the State House. Sources said that he may defect to the LP to realise his ambition. However, analysts are of the opinion that, if he waits till 2019, he can succeed Amosun.

     

    Ekwunife

     

    Another House of Representatives member, Mrs. Uche Ekwunife of APGA, indicated her interest in the Anambra governorship early this year. She is a veteran governorship aspirant. Although the politician is popular in her constituency, some forces in the party have aborted her dream as they did in 2009. She lost her deposit at the recent APGA primaries.

     

    Lanlehin

     

    The senator representing Oyo South, Olufemi Lanlehin, is a lawyer and seasoned politician. He inherited political skills from his illustrious father, the late Pa. S.O. Lanlehin, one of the pioneer members of the Western Regional House of Assembly from Ibadan and treasurer of the defunct Action Group (AG) led by the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo. In the Third Republic, he was a member of the House of Representatives. Between 1999 and 2002, he was Special Adviser on Political and Legislative Matters in Lagos State. Until last week, when the party leaders brokered peace between him and Governor Abiola Ajimobi, the senator was a serious contender for the governorship in the Oyo APC. In 2011, he was an aspirant. But he was prevailed upon by party leaders to step down for Ajimobi, who has been endorsed as the consensus candidate by the party. However, Lanlehin has not renounced his governorship ambition.

     

    Okowa

     

    Senator Ifeanyi Okowa is from Delta North, a district that is mainly populated by Anioma people. The Aniomas have been agitating for power shift because they have not filled the slot before. Therefore, they are insisting that it is the turn of the district to produce the next governor. Power shift, Okowa explained, will give the people of Anioma a sense of pride and belonging. Besides, he said that power shift will foster equity and justice in the state. If this sentiment gains the sympathy of the other ethnic groups , then, Okowa has prospects as an aspirant. The senator is a former Secretary to the State Government. His constituents are impressed by his performance in the Upper Chamber, where he chairs the Senate Committee on Health.

    No fewer than 15 aspirants are in the race for the Delta State Government House. Five of them are in public office. Leading the pack is the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godsday Orubebe, who hails from Delta South like Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan. It has been speculated that Orubebe was anointed by the Presidency to succeed the governor in 2015. But the Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark, has kicked against the choice of Orubebe by President Jonathan. The rejection of Orubebe by Clark, who is perceived by many as the political godfather of the President, may make it difficult for Orubebe to achieve his governorship ambition.

    The recent entry of the Special Adviser to the President on Performance, Monitoring and Evaluation, Professor Sylvester Monye, may have also affected Okonwa’s calculations. He is also from the Delta North. Sources said that prominent indigenes of Delta North are backing him. Among them are the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and former Managing Director of United Bank of Africa, Mr Tony Elumelu. Others in the race are a member of House of Representatives, Hon. Festus Okunbor, also from Delta North, Victor Ochei, and former Minister of State for Education, Kenneth Gbagi, a former Minister and the Speaker Delta House of Assembly.

     

    Gaya

     

    In Kano State Senator Kabiru Gaya, who was the governor of the state in the Third Republic, is staging a come back. He is a serving senator and a chieftain of the APC.

     

    Kawu

     

    A member of the House of Representatives, Abdulrahaman Kawu Sumaila, has been nursing governorship ambition since 2011. He is also in the APC. He was endorsed by some groups in the defunct ANPP last year.

     

    Okonkwo

     

    Senator Annie Okonkwo is one of the chieftains of the APC. He is interested in contesting for the Anambra governorship. But the endorsement of his rival, Dr. Chris Ngige, by the Southeast APC may be a setback to his aspiration.

     

    Arise

     

    Senator Ayo Arise was in the Senate between 2007 and 2011. The politician from Oye-Ekiti is struggling for the Ekiti governorship ticket on the platform of the PDP.

     

    Aluko

     

    Also, in Ekiti, Senator Gbenga Aluko, a PDP chieftain from Ode-Ekiti, who was in the lone PDP senator in the Southwest in 1999, is struggling for the governorship tickect in the state. He is also agitating for power shift to Ekiti South, based on the controversial zoning principle.

     

    Ningi

     

    Senator Abdul Ningi represents Bauchi Central in the Senate. Before his elevation into the Senate, he was a member of the House of Representatives for eight years. His brilliant contributions to House debate won him the respect of his fellow legislators. He was the Majority Leader of the House during his tenure. As the Senate Deputy Majority Leader, Ningi is very close to the Presidency and maintains a good working relationship with the seat of power. The senator is also in the good book of Governor Isa Yuguda. However, zoning may affect his chance of becoming the governor. The people of Bauchi North Senatorial District claim that it is their turn to produce the governor. They argued that, since 1999, the zone has produced the governor. The last time that Bauchi North produced the governor was in 1979 when the late Alhaji Tatari Ali was elected on the platform of the defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN).

     

    Ngige

     

    Senator Chris Ngige is itching to return to Government House , Awka to continue his transformation agenda in Anambra State. He has been endorsed by the Southeast APC for the position. Ngige was elected as the governor in 2003, but his election was nullified by the tribunal. While in power, he embarked on massive road construction, thereby opening up the rural areas. These projects endeared him to the common people. Ngige’s name is synonymous with road construction. He contested for the Senate on the platform of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), defeating Prof. Dora Akunyili of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), despite the fact that APGA is the ruling party. Ngige is the deputy chairman of the Senate Committee on Health.

    A grassroots politician, Ngige is from Anambra Central. He enjoys the goodwill of the people. He will rely on the same goodwill to prosecute his governorship project. He has touched many lives through his economic empowerment programme. His party, the APC, has not zoned the governorship ticket to any zone.

     

    Uba

     

    Senator Andy Uba from Anambra South has failed to emerge as the PDP governorship candidate for Anambra State. He had a brief stint as governor in 2007 for 14 days before he was deposed by the court. The role played by the Ubah ‘s family in the political drama that eased out former Governor Ngige is still fresh in the memory. Andy and his brother, Chris, deployed their huge financial resources to make a point. When he was elected as the senator, reality dawned on his detractors that he was still popular. Uba enjoys the sympathy of the top party chieftains who denied him the ticket in 2011 in favour of former Central Bank Governor Charles Soludo. However, he has missed the chance again.

     

    Abe

     

    Before the crisis in the Rivers State PDP escalated, many members were rooting for Senator Magnus Abe as the likely successor to Amaechi. The senator is from Ogoniland, a zone that has not produced any governor. In fact, Amaechi is supporting power shift to this zone to correct the imbalance in the power sharing. However, it has been alleged that Mrs. Patience Jonathan, the wife of the President, preferred her fellow Okrika man, Nyesom Wike, Minster of State for Education, for the job.

    Abe’s choice was premised on his loyalty to the governor. He remains an ally of the governor during this turbulent period. But his ambition may hit the rock because the governor does not have control over the state PDP executive committee that will conduct the primaries.

    Prior to his election into the Senate, Abe was a member of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Commissioner for Information and Secretary to the Government. He is perceived as a man of integrity in public life. In the Senate, he is the Chairman of the Committee on Petroleum (Downstream). He was the chairman of the Senate Joint Committees that probed the fuel subsidy scam

    .

    Ekweremadu

     

    Senator Ike Ekweremadu is the Senate Deputy President. He is a governorship aspirant in Enugu State. He was tipped for the job in 2007, following the expiration of Governor Chimaroke Nnamani’s second term. But the political family, Ebano Group. opposed his candidature. What makes observers to believe that Ekweremadu still nurses the ambition is the array of projects he has commissioned in his constituency. Many people have benefitted from his Ikeoha Foundation. he has the financial muscle required for the contest. He is also close to Aso Rock.

    But the zoning arrangement has knocked him out of the race. Ekweremadu is from Enugu West like Governor Chime. But the governor is has said that the slot would be zoned to the North. This has not deterred the senator, whose campaign posters have continued to adorn Enugu and Nsukka. The posters is a pointer to brewing feud between him and the governor.

     

    Eze

     

    Senator Ayogu Eze represents Enugu North in the Senate. Many believe he stands a better chance in the Enugu governorship race because he hails from Nsukka, which is favoured by the zoning. The last governor from the zone was Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, who ruled between 1992 and 1993. The zone accounts for 40 per cent of the voting population, according to the last national census.

    Ayogu has never hidden his ambition to become the governor of Enugu State, especially among his fellow senators. Senate President, David Mark refers to him as the “Enugu Government House” whenever he wants to gain his attention. He is the Chairman of Senate Committee on Works. However, the elite in the Nsukka axis perceive him as too ambitious. he has also not mended fences with the Nwodo brothers, who are his benefactors and mentors.

     

    Uzodinma

     

    Senator Hope Uzodinma is from Imo West Senatorial district. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He was the head of the special panel set up to investigate the leadership crisis in the Taraba PDP. He’s also a member of the National Reconciliation Committee of the PDP mandated to unite warring factions in the states. The law maker is also very close to the chairman of the PDP BoT Chairman, Chief Tony Anenih.

     

    Anyanwu

     

    Senator Chris Anyanwu may not find it easy this time around in her bid to maintain her seat in 2015. This is because a different setting from the 2007 that worked in her favour is likely to emerge. She had wanted to contest the Imo East Senatorial seat on the platform of PDP, she was opposed by Mrs Kema Chikwe. she defected from the PDP to APGA, where she contested and won.

    She owed victory at the poll largely to the support given her by the former Interior Minister, Captain Emmanuel Iheanacho. Even though Iheanacho belongs to the PDP, he was said to have supported Anyanwu greatly in actualising her ambition of returning to the Senate, despite the serious opposition from Chikwe and the former governor, Ikedi Ohakim. But she cannot be intimidated by any politician.

     

    Ihedioha

     

    House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Emeka Ihedioha is warming up for the governorship race in Imo State. Ihedioha and Anyanwu are from the same zone and the implication is that they will share the votes from their senatorial district at the primaries.

     

    Nwogu

     

    Senator Nkechi Nwogu is a woman with a heart of steel and stone. She wants to make history as the first woman to be elected governor. Nwogu represents Abia Central in the Senate. She was a member of the House of Representatives. She was the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking in the Sixth Senate. Now, she chairs the Senate Committee on Gas.

     

    Abaribe

     

    Senator Anyinnaya abaribe represents Abia South in the Upper Chamber. He came into limelight in 1999, when he was elected deputy governor. During his trying period as the deputy governor, he enjoyed tremendous support and sympathy from the political elite. Abaribe is a grassroots politician, which makes him popular among the youths and women, who constitute the bulk of voters in the state. He is the Senate’s spokesman.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Senators in rowdy session over Rivers crisis

    Senators in rowdy session over Rivers crisis

    The Senate was thrown into turmoil yesterday over the unfolding crisis in the Rivers State House of Assembly.

    The confusion led to the division of the upper chamber to determine where each senator stood on a resolution on seeking to mandate the Inspector General of Police to address the issue of the broken relationship between Rivers State Governor Chibuike Amaechi and Commissioner of Police Mr. Mbu Joseph Mbu.

    The framing of the resolution did not go down well with the majority of the lawmakers who wanted outright call by the Senate for the removal of the Rivers State Commissioner of Police.

    The stalemate continued for over one hour as the plenary became rowdy.

    The Senate had held a closed session that lasted over one hour immediately it resumed for plenary.

    The unscheduled secret session turned out to be an indication that all was not well.

    The contentious resolution followed a Point of Order moved by Senator Magnus Abe (Rivers Southeast).

    Abe moved Order 43, which deals with personal explanation, and told his colleagues that there was an incident at the Rivers State House of Assembly, Port Harcourt on Tuesday.

    He noted: “What happened was that since May 6, 2013, the Rivers State House of Assembly has not sat because the State’s Police Command withdrew police protection from the House of Assembly.

    “However, after about 63 days that the Assembly could not sit, the Assembly received a communication from the Governor that he wanted to come and make some alterations in the state budget.

    “The Assembly wrote to the police and decided to reconvene after not sitting for 63 days.

    “When they met in the premises of the Assembly, a faction of the House, five members out of a total of 32 members, came into the Assembly and tried to impeach or destabilise the House.

    “They beat up the Speaker, the Majority Leader and other members of the Assembly who were forced to run out of the Assembly and they tried to impeach the speaker with five members.

    “Rivers State House of Assembly has 32 members and a quorum of the House should be 11 members.

    “Be that as it may, the majority members were able to come back and then, the House sat, but before that happened, there was fracas, there was a fight and several members were injured.

    “Surprisingly, this was happening at the House of Assembly, which is directly opposite the Rivers State Police Command Headquarters.

    “At the time this was going on, because of the letter the Speaker had written to the Commissioner of Police, the assumption was that the policemen were there to protect the Speaker and all members of the House of Assembly but, unfortunately, that was not the case.

    “We all know that in the Constitution, the impeachment of a speaker or a governor, two/third of the members of the Assembly is required.

    “Even as we speak, the incident has continued to generate tension in the state. This (yesterday) morning , I heard there was shooting of tear-gas even into the Government House.

    “It is clear that the Rivers State Police Command under the command of the present commissioner is incapable of controlling the situation in the state.

    “This Senate needs to save, not just the House of Assembly but to save Rivers State and to save our democracy.”

    Senate President David Mark did not allow contributions from the floor.

    He noted: “Clearly, what is happening in Rivers State is an embarrassment to legislators across the length and breadth of this country.”

    “It is in the interest of the State House of Assembly not to do anything that will portray legislators as irresponsible because that is not what we are.

    “Clearly also, what is happening is totally unacceptable and it must be condemned in its strongest possible term in its entirety irrespective of who is directly involved or who is behind it.

    “It is not a situation that we expect and we would not want it to continue beyond this point where it has reached.

    “Because of the urgency, I also believe that this Senate must take urgent step to protect democracy and to protect this country and to ensure that democracy continues to grow and improve in the country.”

    Mark directed the Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, to read already written resolutions for affirmation of the Senate.

    Ndoma-Egba moved that in pursuant to the Point of Order raised by Senator Abe, and the guidance Mark offered, that the Senate should condemn in strong terms the crisis in the Rivers State House of Assembly which portents danger for the country’s democracy.

    The resolution was unanimously adopted.

    Ndoma-Egba also moved that the Senate mandate the Committee on States and Local Governments to investigate the remote and immediate causes of the crisis in Rivers State House of Assembly and report back to the Senate within one week.

    It was also unanimously adopted.

    The resolution that in the interim, all parties to the crisis should maintain the status quo and refrain from any action capable of jeopardising the security of lives and property in Rivers State, was also adopted.

    The Senate also resolved that “this Distinguished Senate should at all times uphold the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.

    Mark explained that the resolution was for the sake of emphasis.

    Trouble started when Ndoma-Egba read the fifth resolution for adoption.

    It states: “The Senate further resolves that the Inspector General of Police should take immediate steps to address the issue of the broken relationship between the Governor of Rivers State and the State Commissioner of Police.”

    When Mark put the question, there was a thunderous “nay” in the chamber.

    Mark said it was important that members understood the limit they could go in taking resolutions.

    He put the question the second time and it was not clear whether the “ayes or nays” carried the day.

    There was confusion in the chamber as Senators were observed canvassing in groups in the chamber.

    After about 30 minutes, Mark read what he called amended version of the resolution.

    The slight amendment did not go down well with some Senators as the confusion continued.

    Not satisfied with the turn of events, Senator Babajide Omoworare, who represents Osun East, raised a Point of Order.

    He quoted Order 73 (1)(2)(3) of the Senate, which deals with division of the Senate in the event of uncertainty in voting and called for division.

    Omoworare said, “There is equality of votes. I am of the opinion that the nays had it. I call for division. The Rivers State House of Assembly has been taken over by militants. We cannot stay here and watch helplessly.”

    Mark directed that the gallery be cleared and all the doors leading to the chamber be locked as required by the rule.

    When the gallery was cleared and the doors locked, Mark again proceeded to put the question once again as required by the rule.

    He ruled that the ayes had it. The disorder in the chamber intensified.

    Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu raised Order 73 (2)(3).

    Ekweremadu said that according to the Order, the Senate President could only proceed to the next stage of division of the Senate if his ruling was challenged.

    Omoworare promptly challenged the ruling and said that he felt that the “nays” carried the day.

    Mark mandated the Clerk to call Senators one by one to vote.

    “For the first time let us state where we stand on an issue,” he said.

    After the voting, Mark announced that three Senators abstained, seven were absent, 47 voted “no” and 50 others voted “yes.”

    Some Senators felt that the announcement of the result did not reflect the voting.

    Mark, who was visibly agitated by the disposition of some senators over the result, said they collectively condemned what happened in the Rivers State House of Assembly.

    He said he announced the authentic figure while any other figure by any senator could not be valid.

    He noted that those who disagree with the figure could go to the tribunal to challenge his ruling.

    Mark added, apparently for emphasis that the implication of the result of the division is that the resolution mandating the IG to take steps to address the broken relationship between Amaechi and Mbu remains.

  • Senators oppose six-year single term for President, governors

    Senators oppose six-year single term for President, governors

    •Senate begins consideration of constitution review

    THE Senate is set to kill the six-year single tenure recommendation for President and Governors.

    The proposal was made by its committee on Constitution review.

    Of the 20 Senators that spoke yesterday on the recommendations of the Committee on the review of the 1999 Constitution, none supported the six-year single tenure.

    The committee, headed by the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, proposed the six-year single tenure.

    The Committee said: “Considering the financial expenses often associated with re-election and to ensure that executive heads are freed from the distractions to be able to concentrate on public policy issues, a provision for a single term of six (6)) years for President and Governors is made in sections 135 and 180 respectively.”

    But majority of Senators described the recommendation as an invitation to chaos and an attempt to institutionalise corruption.

    Senator Isah Galaudu (Kebbi North) said the committee failed to provide adequate justification for six-year single term.

    Galaudu described the recommendation as retrogressive, saying it would open a floodgate to loot the treasury by those who find themselves as President and governors.

    He also opposed decentralisation of prisons, saying the prison service should remain in the Exclusive List.

    Senator Clever Ikisikpo (Bayelsa East) opposed removal of the immunity clause.

    He said it will be a major source of distractions for the President and governors.

    He described the six-year single term proposal as undemocratic.

    Ikisikpo added that adoption of six-year single term will lead to corruption “because any occupier of the office would say this is my turn.”

    He supported Local Government autonomy “because this will enable them (local govts) to undertake projects that would impact on the people positively.”

    He supported mayoral status for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), but said the name should be changed.

    On 13 per cent derivation, he said that it should not be stagnant at 13 per cent.

    On assent, he said the President should be allowed to assent to the constitution.

    Senator Ahmed Lawan (Yobe North) backed the abolition of state and local government joint account and the first line charge for State Assembly.

    On six-year single tenure, he said: “This is an investment in disaster, invitation to chaos and anarchy.

    “In a democracy, the will of the people should be allowed to prevail. The people should have opportunity to elect or reject. This is what we call power to the people and not a slogan of a political party where power belongs to a few cabal.

    “Senate should throw away the baby and bath water as far as the six-year single tenure is concerned.”

    Senator Enyinnya Abaribe, noted that the problem is not with the law but its operators.

    H e said: “The state and local government joint account, the Constitution says once those funds come, the state government is to add its 10 per cent and distribute to the local government areas. Is that happening now?

    “The problem is not this law. The problem has been the operators of the Constitution who have refused to do the right thing.”

    On state creation, he asked why the committee continued to receive requests when it knew that the agitators were not doing the right thing.

    Abaribe opposed six-year single term and removal of the immunity clause and supported local government autonomy.

    Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume wanted financial autonomy for local governments and abolition of state and local government joint account.

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Ndume opposed six year single term wondering “why we cherish democracy don’t like the content of democracy.

    He said, “I am thinking that we should have midterm election so that the people will be able pass a vote of confidence on us. We cherish democracy but we hate elections where the people will decide what should happen.”

    On immunity, he said that immunity should not be given in criminal acts.

    Senator Matthew Nwagwu: (Imo North) opposed six year single term.

    He said, “We supported it when we thought we will have zoning in the constitution.”

    He supported local government autonomy and abolition of state and local government joint account.

    He said that Aviation should move to the Concurrent List and said that the consent of the President on constitution should be retained.

    He said that state creation should have been considered and approved by the committee.

    He said, “We are disenfranchised at all levels. In the Senate we are short of three senators, Federal Executive Council, we are disenfranchised.

    Senator Gbenga Ashafa (Lagos East) wanted that issue of granting Lagos State a Special status revisited.

    He noted that is obvious that Lagos belongs to every Nigerian.