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Tag: Senators

  • Controversy trails FG’s distribution of palliative items worth N300 million to senators, Reps members

    Controversy trails FG’s distribution of palliative items worth N300 million to senators, Reps members

    Controversy has trailed federal government’s distribution of palliative items worth N200 million and N100 million to senators and members of the House of Representatives respectively. 

    The Senate debunked claims that each of its members had taken stock of FG’s palliative items for their constituents.

    The chairman of the Senate committee on media and public affairs, Yemi Adaramodu, said he has yet to receive any palliative items from the federal government.

    The House of Representatives also clarified that members received rice from the federal government as part of a nationwide palliative effort, not N100 million as claimed in a recent viral video.

    The chairman of the House committee on media and publicity, Akin Rotimi made the clarification in a statement on Friday, January 5, in Abuja.

    The Reps member further said the procurement process is at different stages, depending on the constituency, but to be clear, no legislator has been given any money for palliatives.

    However, Olusegun Dada, the special assistant on social media to President Bola Tinubu on his official X handle on Thursday, confirmed the distribution of palliative items worth N200 million to senators and palliative items worth N100 million to House of Representatives members.

    Read Also: Better days coming, says Senate President Akpabio

    Two lawmakers from Edo state, Dennis Idahosa and Dekeri Anamero differed over the supply of truck-loads of Christmas Rice meant as palliatives by the federal government to federal lawmakers for their constituents.

    Idahosa had called for a probe over an allegation that four-trailer loads of rice gifted to federal lawmakers had been supplied and shared to their constituents.

    Idahosa’s call for a probe came after Anamero, in a viral video on social media, told his supporters to demand, from their representatives and senators, the whereabouts of the bags of rice as approved by President Tinubu for each of the 360 House of Representatives members, and 109 senators.

    Idahosa, in a statement he personally signed, described the allegations by his colleague as spurious, misleading and capable of inciting constituents against lawmakers.

    In his statement titled “Notice of disclaimer,” Idahosa said no bag of rice has been supplied from the federal government for distributions to the people of his constituency – Ovia Federal Constituency.

    He said: “federal government in its wisdom made provisions for a N100 million towards providing palliatives and development, the award letter for this purpose was released on the 15th of December, 2023, with the analysis of N50 million for provision of Rice and the other N50m for solar street lights.

    “The procurement process which includes the BOQ to ascertain the number of bags of rice and solar street lights poles has not been issued to the contractor who won the bid for supply to the Federal Constituency, as at today this has not been concluded by the awarding ministry.

    “I will also in the spirit of transparency and forthright service, call on the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), Civil Society Organizations, Concerned Citizens of Edo and the Inspector General of Police to investigate the purported supplies of 2,400 bags of rice to me for distributions to my constituents.”

    In the video Anamero said: “President Bola Tinubu ordered the ministry of Agriculture to allocate N100 million worth of rice and other grains to each of the 360 House of Representatives members to share to their constituents in December. For the 109 senators, the allocation was N200m worth of rice Palliatives to share.

    “Please my people, did your honourable members or senators share Tinubu’s rice in your constituency this Christmas? Don’t mind if they branded it with their pictures,” he said.

    Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Publicity said the rice distribution was made possible due to the Speaker’s lobbying efforts to secure additional palliatives for constituencies across the country.

    He said the process, overseen by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, adhered to established public procurement regulations.

    He added that legislators have the right to be present during distribution to take credit for bringing succour to the people.

    The Reps Member further said the procurement process is at different stages, depending on the constituency, but to be clear, no legislator has been given any money for palliatives.

    Meanwhile, aides to some Reps Members who requested anonymity because they were not permitted to speak on the matter in separate interviews, said their principals were yet to receive any palliative items from the government.

    Reacting, the presidential aide, Dada said: “After initial logistics delay, I can now confirm that Senators and members of the House of Representatives have started taking stock of the Federal Government’s palliative items for their constituents as part of efforts to ease life for all Nigerians. 

    “Each HoR member received items worth N100m while Senatorial constituencies got palliative items worth N200m. ” 

  • N300m present for senators = N1b loss/state 

    N300m present for senators = N1b loss/state 

    Every time you expect the National Assembly, (NASS) to act in a normal, citizen-oriented manner in pursuit of serving the electorate, its members seem to become possessed with self-importance and appear in constant search of irrational excuses to make a legal acquisition of the citizens’ property – the budget. There is such a creation as an ‘illegal legality’ or a ‘legalised illegality’ in which something obviously wrong and self-serving and clearly seen to be to the detriment of others, is maliciously and selfishly made law. Just because predecessors in NASS, similarly allocated to themselves stupendous and immoral large allowances and particularly holiday allowances, does not make that action right or proper especially when 70% of the citizens are groaning in the severe hunger of serious poverty.

    The latest manifestation of this Machiavellian activity is allocating as Christmas/New Year allowance the sum of N300,000,000 each to senators i.e. the minimum wage, N30,000 of 10,000 workers for each senator. This totals N32,700,000,000, N32.7b. This does not include the substantial amount to Representatives for the same purpose.

    There are three senators per state meaning that the politicians across the country will have more than N1,000,000,000 per state. Is the senators’ N300m/senator’s gain come at a N1billion loss per state? Should we the citizens be grateful? Will any of this money reach to citizens? If so, how much of it would actually reach the needy? Is this the best way to get money to the needy citizens, if they – the needy – are actually the true target of such huge funds?

    We are told by the same benefiting political caucus that the money is necessary because of the high demands on all politicians by genuine and political hangers-on. The politicians are never tired of telling us about the widows, orphans, school fees, salaries, and ceremonies like weddings, namings, birthdays, burials, that they support. These claims are not properly documented in sufficient detail to justify the huge sums taken from the budget in the citizens’ name. In fact, this haphazard approach to funding the poor and needy leaves opportunity for politicians to take huge percentages of this money and divert it for their own ends. Since such money appears obviously available, Nigerians demand a proper programme with 100% proper retirement of such funds at the rate of N1b/state.

    How should the money be distributed in a way that it reaches the citizens and is not trapped, reduced, diverted or sequestered into the very large and bottomless pockets of the politicians of NASS and their personal political hangers on and those who can get through the barrier of thugs, security and political cabal around each NASS member, leaving those who do not have such connections and ‘man-know-man-or woman’ with nothing?     

    Every state has orphanages caring for motherless babies and orphans, handicapped homes, homes for the blind and communities of really poor and many physically challenged as well as widows, very sick and needy citizens, well established NGOs and organisations like Boy Scouts, Girl Guides, Blue Crescent, Man-O-War etc. The list of well-organised, but uniformly underfunded organisations in each state is endless. But little if any of the N1billion per state will reach them. It is shameful that these organisations are almost never supported, even though they do such good work.

    After several months of reduced robberies on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, robberies and kidnappings are again being reported on the ever busy and newly rebuilt road, the main artery in and out the country from Lagos. We are grateful to the several police and Amotekun and other units which have largely reduced the high rate of kidnapping on that road. To be attacked, robbed and kidnapped are very frightening and sometimes injurious and even lethal and certainly ruinous to the years of hard work and saved income. Sometimes one wonders exactly where the kidnappers expect the huge sums they demand to come from without total ruin of the livelihood. Someone should investigate the aftereffects of kidnappings on families.

    Read Also: INEC, political parties absent as NASS begin process of electoral reform

    Perhaps then much more effort will be put in by government to fund and fuel the vehicles of the police and Amotekun and urge them not to remain as static patrol points but to order them to drive up and down the few kilometres each patrol unit is allocated to patrol. This will take a larger fuel allocation, much better radio linkages, better rations and more frequent supervision by the zonal commanders. I know what it is like to face murderous attack on that expressway as we were attacked at 3.30ish pm at Km 41 on March 17, 2017 when 10 murderous men stopped and surrounded 10 vehicles. Thankfully, we managed to escape, but at least one person died. A week later, the police captured them. They were so close during the attack that I recognised three of the six in the newspaper picture the following week. Prevention of such attacks is far better than the cure in hospital or paying huge money that no one has to spare.

    The Lagos, Ogun and Oyo governors and their respective security and other relevant authorities should take a very active interest in the Daily Security Report from the all roads and particularly the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. They should re-strategise and energise every effort to motivate, empower and increase the security personnel deployed to the new improved one hour 15minute Lagos Ibadan Expressway to achieve zero crime as an example to the country.     

  • MAN to senators: patronise made-in- Nigeria cars

    Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has urged Nigerians to drop their penchant for foreign goods in favour of made in Nigeria ones, saying that patronising made-in-Nigeria products was necessary to stimulate the growth of the local economy.

    Briefing reporters, in Lagos, ahead of its 47th Annual General Meeting (AGM), MAN President  Ahmed Mansur said there was the need to develop the national economy through consumption of local goods, especially Nigerian assembled cars.

    Mansur frowned on the alleged planned purchase of foreign cars worth over N5 billion by the Senate, arguing that if such huge amount was spent for the purchase of locally made brands, it would tremendously impact on the country’s automobile sector.

    “The planned purchase of vehicles worth over N5 billion by the Senate for official duties would have tremendous impact on local automobile sector. I urge Nigerians to consume what is produced here, as this will impact positively on the local economy,” Mansur advised.

    MAN, he said, was working hard to improve the value chain in the manufacturing sector and create jobs.

     

     

    He stressed that this informed the theme of its 47th AGM, “Improving Value Chain in the Manufacturing Sector for Competitiveness and Job Creation.”

     

    According to him, this was borne out of the need to highlight the significance of improving manufacturing value chain linkages as part of efforts to make the sector competitive and contribute more to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and create the much-needed jobs.made-in- Nigeria cars

  • Senator seeks military base on Akwanga road

    Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts, Senator Philip Gyunka, on Monday asked the Federal Government to establish a military base along Garaku-Akwanga road to help tackle incessant attacks along the road.

    Gyunka (Nasarawa north) said that establishment of a military base on the road will also help to curb increased cases of kidnapping in the area.

    The lawmaker made the appeal after visiting Akwanga General Hospital to commiserate with victims of a fresh attack in Numa-Choku, a community in Akwanga Local Government.

    A pregnant woman and several others were said to have been killed by herdsmen at a naming ceremony on April 14 in Numa-Chuka community, 10 kilometers from Akwanga, Nasarawa State.

    He noted the high spate of criminal activities in the area had not only claimed lives but has put fear in residents, motorists and people doing business in the area.

    The establishment of military base, he said, would go a long way in curbing the menace and giving people the confidence to go about their daily activities freely.

    According to him: “Last week Wednesday, I raised a motion on the herdsmen killing of our people in three villages, Mante, Nindan and Katanza.

    “Herdsmen attacked a village where a lady was coming from an occasion. She was raped and killed and that resulted in a clash in the community.

    “Our traditional ruler was able to bring the situation under control and the matter was resolved.

    “While we were trying to get over that, there was a fresh attack in Numa-Choku, a neighbouring village to those three communities.

    “The celebrant and the parents were all killed and woman lost four of her children and a pregnant daughter in-law. So pathetic.

    “These are harmless people who were having a naming ceremony.”

     Gyunka urged the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to visit the affected communities to help provide relief materials to victims.

    He asked for stringent enforcement of existing laws to prohibit the bearing of arms by unauthorised persons.

     Gyunka said: “I feel there should be a strong law that will forbid bearing of arms.

    “The issue of ECOWAS free movement has done Nigerians more harm than good because people come into this country with arms, only to turn against the citizens.

    “In other countries they people are properly checked before allowed residence but it is not same in Nigeria.

    “Our borders are so porous that people come in armed, harass citizens, kill, maim and return to the bush.”

  • ‘Useless’ Senators

    I hardly get involved in arguments online, on any platform, over any issue, no matter how strongly I feel about something I don’t agree with.

    Online arguments can get messy with one saying what he or she should not say. There have been hot online exchanges that have resulted in enmity between longtime friends.

    People have unfriended themselves, blocked others and exited groups.

    Last Thursday I broke my rule when I questioned a claim in a forwarded message on a WhatsApp group I belonged to. My colleague who forwarded the post did not take kindly to my question mark response to one of the claims in the message and we had to engage in counter arguments all day until some others called for truce the day after.

    Thankfully, the disagreement has been resolved, but I am opting to write about it to stress the need for caution in claims by many persons, some of who should know better.

    In the forwarded post in contention, whoever the originator, who is not my colleague, claimed that Senators who allegedly earn N433,000 daily are useless than other Nigerians who earn pittance.

    I agree that Senators can do better than they have been doing in their legislative duties but I didn’t think it was right to say they are useless despite the bogus salaries they earn. Many of them are accomplished persons in their own rights and indeed have Constitutional roles without which many government policies can’t be implemented.

    While Nigerians may not understand the justification for the salaries the Senators earn, I am of the opinion that knowledgeable persons should help others who may not know or understand the presidential system of government better by appreciating the role of every arm.

    Just as the executive have its role, the legislature and judiciary are equal partners in the administration of the country and cannot be wished away for whatever reason.

    If our Senators are useless as some claim, Nigerians are to blame as they elected them and many of them have been re-elected in the last election.

    Based on the present Constitution we have, we cannot do without Senators. The earlier we get useful Senators, who understand their roles, the better for us as a country, I argued.

    Is their pay commensurate with the work they do or could it be that legislative functions are super tasking in Nigeria than in developed nations? Someone asked.

    My response was that the issue of commensurate pay is not limited to Senators alone. The same could be asked about most elected officials. Same for House of Representatives, State Houses of Assembly; and governors and presidents with bogus security votes. The current crop of legislators did not fix their salaries. It was based on what the framers of the laws setting up that arm of government expected to be their roles.

    If Nigerians say what they earn is too much, our present constitution requires that the same Senate will have to amend the laws. Again, let’s not forget that some of the legislators are not poor people. Unfortunately, I don’t know any legislator, APC, PDP or whatever party, that has rejected the pay. It is up to Nigerians to ask for reduction through the Senators!

    My advice to Nigerians is that considering the key role of the Senate and the various legislative houses, we should ensure that the right persons are voted for. Just as we want good president and good governors, we need committed legislators who can pass and initiate bills needed for the overall development of the country and discharge their legislative oversight functions.

  • Senators in rowdy session

    Senators yesterday took partisan positions on the involvement of the military in the yet-to-be concluded general elections.

    They were close to exchanging blows in the chamber over alleged militarisation of the process.

    Another issue that pitted the lawmakers against one another was an alleged inconsistent application of electoral laws by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    Tempers rose. Discordant and acrimonious voices became the order in the hallowed chamber, which was sharply divided along party lines, with All Progressives Congress (APC) senators squaring up to their Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) counterparts, for a possible offensive.

    Senate President Bukola Saraki came to the rescue to no avail. The lawmakers shouted and threw punches into the air.

    The row was sparked by a motion on “The militarisation of the Nigerian electoral process and the inconsistent application of electoral laws by the INEC”.

    It was sponsored by Senator Dino Melaye (Kogi West) with senators Mao Ohuabunwa (Abia North), Matthew Urhoghide (Edo South), Samuel Anyanwu (Imo East), Clifford Ordia (Edo Central), Ahmed Ogembe (Kogi Central), Biodum Olujimi (Ekiti South) and Obinna Ogba (Ebonyi Central) as co-sponsors.

    Melaye claimed that the ADC to the Governor of Kogi State “mounted a roadblock with over 200 security agents, some of who were fake” on the eve of the Presidential and National Assembly Elections.

    Many PDP members, he said, were denied access into Kogi State.

    According to him, a former governor of the state, Idris Wada, was forced to return to Abuja when his security aides were arrested.

    He went on: “Some senators here and members of the House of Representatives were stopped from coming into Lokoja. I had to consult some celestial powers and that was how I got into Kogi State and my village through celestial powers.

    “This is not about PDP or APC. This is about Nigeria. Where is NPN? where is UPN? All these things will come and go. The Senate cannot look the other way while these things are ongoing. Lecturers and Youth Corps members were killed during the elections.”

    “It is pathetic that there is no national broadcast from the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. We must not have this kind of elections again in this country, Melaye concluded.

    The Kogi West senator prayed the Senate to:

    • condemn the “massive” use of military forces in the national electoral process;
    • urge the INEC to ensure the unrestricted and consistent application of all electoral laws without bias to a candidate or a party in all elections;
    • direct the Senate Committee on INEC to investigate all perceived inconsistent application of electoral laws by INEC in the 2019 elections; and
    • urge the President to give assent to the recent amendment to the Electoral Act to ensure a level playing field and adoption of equal standards in our national elections for a strong and peaceful democracy in Nigeria.

    Seconding the motion, Senate Leader Ahmad Lawan said the Senate has a role to ensure the provision of necessary legislative intervention.

    Read also: Post-election litigation: Bulkachuwa warns tribunal judges against misconduct

    Lawan said: “We are here to smoothen processes in all affairs of governance. The challenges of elections in Nigeria have been here with us.

    “We should consider those things we feel need the intervention of the Senate.

    ”I believe that our process remains a journey. Our electoral process needs a lot of refining and fine-tuning.

    “The executive is also concerned. Here, we have an opportunity to discuss with INEC what the challenges have been so that we can have an evaluation of the entire situation.

    “The ball is in our court. We should review what happened and see where legislative intervention is required. Then we will put it up before the executive.

    “When INEC postponed the election, we were concerned because it was becoming a trend that must be stopped.”

    Trouble started when Minority Leader Biodun Olujimi spoke about election rigging.

    Mrs Olujimi said: “What happened on the 23rd of February has been captured by Melaye. We are Nigerians and we are in Nigeria. For this country to favour us, we must speak truth to power.

    “Whoever is siding what happened during the elections because of partisanship, he or she is unfair to Nigeria.

    “That election was a sham. There was no way that election would have been an advancement of what we had in 2015. INEC was inconsistent. They used different methods in many places. They used EFCC (Economic and Financial Crimes Commission) and Civil Defence (Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps) to rout people.

    “Someone, somewhere, has refused to give assent to the electoral amendment. During the elections, rigging was legalised. We need to look at that as a legislature.

    “Nigeria belongs to all of us. Being a member of a political party doesn’t make you more Nigerian. Nigeria has to move forward. APC must surrender itself to the processes in Nigeria.”

    Mrs. Olujimi’s attempt to reel out the shortcomings of the elections did not go down well with her colleagues, especially from the APC camp.

    Lawan took the floor and called for caution.

    The Yobe North senator said: “There is an established process already in place. Whoever has any grievances can explore the options that have been made available. I don’t think this issue should be permitted here.”

    He reminded the Senate that the motion was specific, stressing that extraneous issues should not be brought in.

    Fearing degeneration of the debate, Saraki said: “We have an opportunity to take this motion and find a solution. Those contributing should not deviate from the issue so that we don’t have a turbulent session. Let me restrict us.”

    Saraki’s plea for decorum failed as it appeared that the senators had made up their minds about the motion.

    Senator Mao Ohuabunwa said that the Senate should treat prayers of the motion dispassionately to ensure credible elections and a level-playing field.

    The Abia North senator said that it was commendable that the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, had set up a panel of enquiry on the role of the military

    The four prayers raised by Melaye created another round of rancour.

    APC senators appeared to have voted heavily against the prayers but Saraki overruled them to pave the way for the adoption of the prayers.

  • Senators who won’t be in the 9th assembly

    Following the final list of candidates that will contest the February 16 national assembly elections across the country, the fate of some prominent senators are now sealed as they will definitely not be returning to the upper chamber at the expiration of the 8th assembly next June, writes Dare Odufowokan, Assistant Editor

    AS the date for the February 2019 presidential and national assembly elections draw closer, it is now clear that some prominent members of the red chamber of the national assembly will not be returning back to the senate after the expiration of the current assembly in June. The final confirmation of the end of their stay in the upper chamber came when the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) released what it call the final list of national assembly candidates for the 2019 general elections.

    While a little more than 60 senators who made INEC’s list of national assembly contenders have chances of being part of the 9th assembly as they will now slug it out with their opponents on February 16, more than 40 of their colleagues have no hope of ever being part of the next senate as their names are not on the list of those that will be participating in the nationwide elections that will produce members of the 9th assembly.

    The affected senators will not be contesting the 2019 elections for various reasons. While a number of them voluntarily decided to ‘retire’ from the senate and allow others take their place, there are those who opted to seek the governorship tickets of their various parties in their various states. While some succeeded and are now guber candidates, others failed in their bid and will not be competing in the elections altogether.

    There are also some of the senators who lost their seats to the senatorial ambitions of their state governors. As a result of the loss of senators in this categories, seven serving governors now have the possibilities of joining others as senators when the next assembly is inaugurated. Among serving governors now seeking senate seats are Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun state and Rochas Okorocha of Imo state.

    Others include Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo state, Kashim Shettima of Bornu state, Ibrahim Dankwabo of Gombe, Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara state and Ibrahim Geidam of Yobe state. While a few of these governors emerged as the candidates of their respective parties through peaceful consensus arrangements that saw the incumbents stepping down for them, others had to wage fierce political wars against erstwhile political associates to pick the tickets.

    The ‘retirees’

    Among current senators who decided they have had enough of the national assembly is former senate President and the indisputable longest serving senator in the country today, Senator David Mark. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senator represents Benue South senatorial district of Benue state in the national assembly. He is currently serving his fifth term as a senator having been first elected in 1999.

    Mark, who was elected Senate President in  and remained in that position till 2015 when his party, the PDP could not win enough seat in the upper chamber to be in the majority and had to cede the seat to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Although he remained a respected member of the chamber, not much was heard of his since the inception of the 8th assembly. Comrade Abba Moro, a former Interior Minister, is the candidate of the PDP in the district for the next election.

    Similarly, Senator Jonah Jang (PDP Plateau North), who is also a former governor of Plateau state, has willingly decided that he will not be returning to the senate after just a term in the chamber. The PDP senator, according to sources close to him, considered running for the presidential ticket of his party but later jettison the idea. He may have decided to retire from gunning for elective positions even.

    Senators Shaaba Lafiagi (PDP Kwara North) and Demola Adeleke (PDP Osun West), are two other legislators who didn’t bother to seek the ticket of their party for re-election into the national assembly. While it was gathered that Lafiagi, a former governor of Kwara state decided to rest on account of old age, Adeleke may have been forced to jettison a return to the senate by an ongoing trial bothering on alleged examination malpractices.

    There are also Senators Ahmed Sani (APC Zamfara East), Bukar Abba Ibrahim (APC Yobe East) and Kaka Gabbai (APC Borno Central), who voluntarily opted out of the race to allow their state governors take their seat at the senate in the 9th assembly. While Governor Abdulazeez Yari is still battling in the courts to get his name into the INEC list, Governors Geidam and Shettima are now slated by INEC to battle other candidates for senate seats.

    Guber hopefuls

    Featuring prominently among senators that will not be returning to the national assembly as members of the 9th senate are those who decided to gun for the governorship seats in their various states. Following the various primary elections of political parties across the country, while some of them are now flying the banners of their parties as guber candidates, others let out in the race.

    Senators Jeremiah Useni (PDP Plateau South ) and Abdulaziz Murtala Nyako (ADC Adamawa Central) are two senators who made it into INEC’s list of governorship candidates. As such, the duo will not be returning to the national assembly in 2019. While Useni is now the gubernatorial candidate of the opposition PDP in Plateau state, Nyako, son of a former governor, is flying the banner of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the Adamawa state governorship race.

    Similarly, Senators Usman Bayero Nafada (PDP Gombe North) and Hope Uzodinma (APC Imo West) were successful in their quest for the governorship tickets of the PDP and APC respectively in their homes states of Gombe and Imo. The duo will not be rerunning to the senate for now. While Nafada emerged as the choice of Governor Dankwambo in Gombe, Uzodinma waged, and is still waging the political battle of his life with Governor Okorocha to clinch the guber ticket.

    Senator John Enoh (APC Cross River Central) is another member of the national assembly that will not return for the 9th senate. He sought the governorship ticket oft eh APC in his home state of Cross Rivers and made it to the final list of INEC although his candidature is strongly being challenged by another chieftain of the party in the state. Safe for an unfavorable court judgement, Enoh currently looks good to contest the guber polls.

    Defeated

    Not all the senators willingly surrendered their tickets to the contenders who replaced them. Many of them put up fierce resistance even when it was obvious that they forces against their reelection into the senate were formidable. But in spite of their struggle to wade off opposition to their candidacies, a good number of the senators lost at the various primary elections of their parties.

    Good examples are Senators Gbenga Ashafa (APC Lagos East), Lanre Tejuoso (APC Ogun Central), Fatima Raji Rasaki (APC Ekiti Central), Sola Adeyeye (APC Osun Central) and Babajide Omoworare (APC Osun East). Ashafa was trounced by Hon. Bayo Osinowo, a ranking member of the Lagos State House of Assembly (LAHA) while Rasaki lost the APC ticket to former House of Reps member, Opeyemi Bamidele.

    In Osuns state, both Senators Adeyeye, current chief whip of the senate, and Omoworare, could not convince their constituents to allow them return to the senate for another term. Rather, members of the APC in Osun central and Osun East rejected their re-election bids and instead gave the party’s tickets to  Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General of Osun State, Dr. Ajibola Basiru and Ajibola Famurewa, director-general of the campaign of Governor Gboyega Oyetola.

    Senators Aliyu Sabi (Niger North) and David Umaru (Niger East) will also not be returning to the senate largely because Governor Sani Bello fought vehemently against their re-election. While the duo gave good account of them in the struggle for the tickets of the ruling APC in the state during the primary elections, the political structure of the governor across the state ensured they both lost at the primaries.

    Others national assembly members who couldn’t suppress oppositions to their re-election during the primary elections and had to surrender their party’s tickets to other people include Senators Gilbert Nnaji (PDP Enugu East), Emmanuel Paulker (PDP Bayelsa Central), Ben Murray Bruce (PDP Bayelsa West), Fosta Ogola (PDP Bayelsa South) and Ahmed Abubakar (APC Adamawa South).

    Locked out

    In a bizarre twist in the race towards the 9th senate, some senators have been locked out of the struggle by INEC due to certain technicalities. And unless something unforeseen happens, all the senators representing Zanfara and Rivers states in the national assembly may remain automatically disqualified from returning to the upper chamber after the general elections.

    In the final list released by the commission, no candidates were listed for the APC in Rivers and Zamfara states. Earlier, INEC had said it would not allow the APC field candidates in Zamfara because the party did not hold primaries within the stipulated time. Infighting and disagreements among leaders of the party in the state led to the inability to hold the primaries within the stipulated time.

    Two separate courts in Abuja and Zamfara recently gave conflicting judgements on INEC’s insistence that the party cannot field candidates in the state. While the court in Abuja said the commission acted right, another one in Gusau ruled that the APC did conduct primaries and INEC should ensure the party presents candidates for the general elections. The electoral commission, after all said and done, chose to abide by the judgement of the Abuja court.

    In Rivers, the same scenario played out among party leaders, leading to the inability of the party to conduct acceptable primary elections to all the factions and the INEC. The party is divided into two factions loyal to the transport minister, Rotimi Amaechi, and Senator Magnus Abe respectively. The commission say based on an high court ruling, it will not recognize any of the two factions.

    Rather than resolve the differences and hold primary elections joint within stipulated time, the infighting continued. What followed is a litany of court cases. Recently, a federal high court recently ruled that the APC disobeyed a high court order on its congresses and so the primaries that produced its candidates were null and void. Thus, the three senators in the state will not be returning to the chamber if the situation remains the same till February 16.

  • Senators who won’t be in the 9th assembly

    Following the final list of candidates that will contest the February 16 national assembly elections across the country, the fate of some prominent senators are now sealed as they will definitely not be returning to the upper chamber at the expiration of the 8th assembly next June, writes Dare Odufowokan, Assistant Editor

    AS the date for the February 2019 presidential and national assembly elections draw closer, it is now clear that some prominent members of the red chamber of the national assembly will not be returning back to the senate after the expiration of the current assembly in June. The final confirmation of the end of their stay in the upper chamber came when the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) released what it call the final list of national assembly candidates for the 2019 general elections.

    While a little more than 60 senators who made INEC’s list of national assembly contenders have chances of being part of the 9th assembly as they will now slug it out with their opponents on February 16, more than 40 of their colleagues have no hope of ever being part of the next senate as their names are not on the list of those that will be participating in the nationwide elections that will produce members of the 9th assembly.

    The affected senators will not be contesting the 2019 elections for various reasons. While a number of them voluntarily decided to ‘retire’ from the senate and allow others take their place, there are those who opted to seek the governorship tickets of their various parties in their various states. While some succeeded and are now guber candidates, others failed in their bid and will not be competing in the elections altogether.

    There are also some of the senators who lost their seats to the senatorial ambitions of their state governors. As a result of the loss of senators in this categories, seven serving governors now have the possibilities of joining others as senators when the next assembly is inaugurated. Among serving governors now seeking senate seats are Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun state and Rochas Okorocha of Imo state.

    Others include Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo state, Kashim Shettima of Bornu state, Ibrahim Dankwabo of Gombe, Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara state and Ibrahim Geidam of Yobe state. While a few of these governors emerged as the candidates of their respective parties through peaceful consensus arrangements that saw the incumbents stepping down for them, others had to wage fierce political wars against erstwhile political associates to pick the tickets.

    The ‘retirees’

    Among current senators who decided they have had enough of the national assembly is former senate President and the indisputable longest serving senator in the country today, Senator David Mark. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senator represents Benue South senatorial district of Benue state in the national assembly. He is currently serving his fifth term as a senator having been first elected in 1999.

    Mark, who was elected Senate President in  and remained in that position till 2015 when his party, the PDP could not win enough seat in the upper chamber to be in the majority and had to cede the seat to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Although he remained a respected member of the chamber, not much was heard of his since the inception of the 8th assembly. Comrade Abba Moro, a former Interior Minister, is the candidate of the PDP in the district for the next election.

    Similarly, Senator Jonah Jang (PDP Plateau North), who is also a former governor of Plateau state, has willingly decided that he will not be returning to the senate after just a term in the chamber. The PDP senator, according to sources close to him, considered running for the presidential ticket of his party but later jettison the idea. He may have decided to retire from gunning for elective positions even.

    Senators Shaaba Lafiagi (PDP Kwara North) and Demola Adeleke (PDP Osun West), are two other legislators who didn’t bother to seek the ticket of their party for re-election into the national assembly. While it was gathered that Lafiagi, a former governor of Kwara state decided to rest on account of old age, Adeleke may have been forced to jettison a return to the senate by an ongoing trial bothering on alleged examination malpractices.

    There are also Senators Ahmed Sani (APC Zamfara East), Bukar Abba Ibrahim (APC Yobe East) and Kaka Gabbai (APC Borno Central), who voluntarily opted out of the race to allow their state governors take their seat at the senate in the 9th assembly. While Governor Abdulazeez Yari is still battling in the courts to get his name into the INEC list, Governors Geidam and Shettima are now slated by INEC to battle other candidates for senate seats.

    Guber hopefuls

    Featuring prominently among senators that will not be returning to the national assembly as members of the 9th senate are those who decided to gun for the governorship seats in their various states. Following the various primary elections of political parties across the country, while some of them are now flying the banners of their parties as guber candidates, others let out in the race.

    Senators Jeremiah Useni (PDP Plateau South ) and Abdulaziz Murtala Nyako (ADC Adamawa Central) are two senators who made it into INEC’s list of governorship candidates. As such, the duo will not be returning to the national assembly in 2019. While Useni is now the gubernatorial candidate of the opposition PDP in Plateau state, Nyako, son of a former governor, is flying the banner of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the Adamawa state governorship race.

    Similarly, Senators Usman Bayero Nafada (PDP Gombe North) and Hope Uzodinma (APC Imo West) were successful in their quest for the governorship tickets of the PDP and APC respectively in their homes states of Gombe and Imo. The duo will not be rerunning to the senate for now. While Nafada emerged as the choice of Governor Dankwambo in Gombe, Uzodinma waged, and is still waging the political battle of his life with Governor Okorocha to clinch the guber ticket.

    Senator John Enoh (APC Cross River Central) is another member of the national assembly that will not return for the 9th senate. He sought the governorship ticket oft eh APC in his home state of Cross Rivers and made it to the final list of INEC although his candidature is strongly being challenged by another chieftain of the party in the state. Safe for an unfavorable court judgement, Enoh currently looks good to contest the guber polls.

    Defeated

    Not all the senators willingly surrendered their tickets to the contenders who replaced them. Many of them put up fierce resistance even when it was obvious that they forces against their reelection into the senate were formidable. But in spite of their struggle to wade off opposition to their candidacies, a good number of the senators lost at the various primary elections of their parties.

    Good examples are Senators Gbenga Ashafa (APC Lagos East), Lanre Tejuoso (APC Ogun Central), Fatima Raji Rasaki (APC Ekiti Central), Sola Adeyeye (APC Osun Central) and Babajide Omoworare (APC Osun East). Ashafa was trounced by Hon. Bayo Osinowo, a ranking member of the Lagos State House of Assembly (LAHA) while Rasaki lost the APC ticket to former House of Reps member, Opeyemi Bamidele.

    In Osuns state, both Senators Adeyeye, current chief whip of the senate, and Omoworare, could not convince their constituents to allow them return to the senate for another term. Rather, members of the APC in Osun central and Osun East rejected their re-election bids and instead gave the party’s tickets to  Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General of Osun State, Dr. Ajibola Basiru and Ajibola Famurewa, director-general of the campaign of Governor Gboyega Oyetola.

    Senators Aliyu Sabi (Niger North) and David Umaru (Niger East) will also not be returning to the senate largely because Governor Sani Bello fought vehemently against their re-election. While the duo gave good account of them in the struggle for the tickets of the ruling APC in the state during the primary elections, the political structure of the governor across the state ensured they both lost at the primaries.

    Others national assembly members who couldn’t suppress oppositions to their re-election during the primary elections and had to surrender their party’s tickets to other people include Senators Gilbert Nnaji (PDP Enugu East), Emmanuel Paulker (PDP Bayelsa Central), Ben Murray Bruce (PDP Bayelsa West), Fosta Ogola (PDP Bayelsa South) and Ahmed Abubakar (APC Adamawa South).

    Locked out

    In a bizarre twist in the race towards the 9th senate, some senators have been locked out of the struggle by INEC due to certain technicalities. And unless something unforeseen happens, all the senators representing Zanfara and Rivers states in the national assembly may remain automatically disqualified from returning to the upper chamber after the general elections.

    In the final list released by the commission, no candidates were listed for the APC in Rivers and Zamfara states. Earlier, INEC had said it would not allow the APC field candidates in Zamfara because the party did not hold primaries within the stipulated time. Infighting and disagreements among leaders of the party in the state led to the inability to hold the primaries within the stipulated time.

    Two separate courts in Abuja and Zamfara recently gave conflicting judgements on INEC’s insistence that the party cannot field candidates in the state. While the court in Abuja said the commission acted right, another one in Gusau ruled that the APC did conduct primaries and INEC should ensure the party presents candidates for the general elections. The electoral commission, after all said and done, chose to abide by the judgement of the Abuja court.

    In Rivers, the same scenario played out among party leaders, leading to the inability of the party to conduct acceptable primary elections to all the factions and the INEC. The party is divided into two factions loyal to the transport minister, Rotimi Amaechi, and Senator Magnus Abe respectively. The commission say based on an high court ruling, it will not recognize any of the two factions.

    Rather than resolve the differences and hold primary elections joint within stipulated time, the infighting continued. What followed is a litany of court cases. Recently, a federal high court recently ruled that the APC disobeyed a high court order on its congresses and so the primaries that produced its candidates were null and void. Thus, the three senators in the state will not be returning to the chamber if the situation remains the same till February 16.

  • Electoral Bill: Senators mum as Saraki reads President’s letter

     

    There was silence on Tuesday in the Upper Chamber as Senate President Bukola Saraki read a letter on the Presidential decision to decline assent to the Electoral amendment Bill, 2018.

    All Progressives Congress (APC) Senators came in their numbers apparently to prevent anticipated plot by their Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) counterparts to initiate moves to override the President’s assent on the controversial Bill.

    Saraki merely read the letter dated 6th December, 2018 which detailed reasons Buhari refused his assent to the Bill.

    There was pin drop silence in the chamber as Saraki read the two-page letter.

    He filed it away after reading the letter.

    Apprehensions Point of Order will be raised for consideration of the presidential letter were dashed when senators kept quiet.

    A source noted that “apparently in line with the rule of the Senate, no senator was allowed to comment on the contents of the Presidential letter.”

    It was however gathered that APC Senate caucus met on Monday to articulate how to foil any attempt to override the President’s assent.

    Finding also showed that the APC caucus mobilised members to attend Tuesday’s sitting.

    It was gathered members of the APC caucus were particularly spurred to action by the comments of Senator Dino Melaye on a national television on Monday on the voided Bill.

    Melaye, a senator said, was reportedly critical of President Buhari for rejecting the Bill “for us to leave anything to chance.”

    According to the senator: “We were fully on standby to oppose any motion by Melaye and other PDP senators on the rejected Bill.

    “We were prepared. We knew the stand of Melaye on matters of this nature. Nobody should be taken for granted.”

    Turnout in the chamber on Tuesday was the highest by APC and PDP Senators in recent times.

    It is unclear what the next line of action will be on the rejected Bill.

     

  • Electoral bill: Senators, Reps in battle to override Buhari’s veto

    •Ndume: PDP, others do not have the number to override Buhari •NASS faces legal obstacle

    A fresh battle is brewing in the National Assembly between supporters and opponents of President Muhammadu Buhari following his rejection of the   Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2018.

    Some Senators and members of the House of Representatives are plotting to override the President’s veto.

    The plot was said to have been mooted after some of the anti-Buhari legislators got wind of the President’s decision on Thursday.

    Buhari’s letter on his decision to reject the bill reached the leadership of the National Assembly on Friday.

    A former Senate Leader Ali Ndume and a supporter of the president believes those plotting to override Buhari  cannot muster the two- thirds majority to carry out their threat.

    He said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is behind the plot and will fail.

    Investigation by our correspondent showed that some pro and anti-Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2018 held separate meetings in Abuja on Friday and yesterday on the way forward.

    While those in PDP opted to override the President’s veto, those in APC are backing Buhari because the bill might ‘distort’ preparations for the 2019 poll.

    Some members of the National Assembly, especially those from the North are angry that the opposition is politicizing the bill.

    They alleged that some of their colleagues have been insinuating that the bill was meant to check rigging in the North. At  a meeting of the anti-Buhari legislators  held in Maitama District Abuja ,participants  agreed to override the President’s assent.

    They also plotted to “make a political capital of the presidential decline by putting Buhari on the spot and portraying him as not ready to conduct   free and fair polls.”

    They also reached a consensus to mobilize civil society organizations to mount pressure on the international community against Buhari.

    Another drastic option is a suggestion by some Senators and Representatives to make the signing of the bill a condition for the presentation of 2019 Budget by Buhari.

    A ranking Senator said: “We have resolved to override the President’s assent because his reasons are really untenable. No one is out to derail the 2019 polls. Instead, the bill contains some amendments that will ensure a free and fair process.

    “Although we had anticipated it, we got to know of the decline by the President on Thursday. The President cannot have his cake and eat it this time around.”

    A second term member of the House of Representatives, who attended a separate stock-taking session in Asokoro District, said: “Some of us are backing the President because certain provisions are difficult to implement due to time constraint.

    “For instance, Section  44 of the bill states that parties must be invited to inspect their identities and  show whether they approve or otherwise of how they are represented on electoral materials.

    “This amounts to interference in INEC’s work. Why should parties be privy to how ballot paper is designed?

    “Having awarded the contract for ballot papers, the National Assembly cannot draw back the electoral commission.”

    A Senator from North-Central admitted that Senators and Representatives have been holding consultations along what he described as ‘our fault lines.’ “The truth is that the nation needs more time to adopt the Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2018. We have met and our position is that the bill should take effect after the 2019 poll.”

    A member of the House of Representatives from Sokoto State said: “I do not see those in support of the bill getting two-thirds to override the President’s veto.” A former Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume told our correspondent it is impossible for those anti-Buhari Senators and Representatives to secure two-thirds to override the veto on Electoral Bill.

    Ndume said: “The President has his reasons but there is Article 2 of ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance that prohibits passing of a law within a period shorter than six months to the election.

    “The President has the right to withhold his assent. I am standing with Mr. President on his decision.

    “The threat by PDP that they would override Mr. President is just their usual dream because they don’t have the number and they will not have the number.

    Responding to a question, Ndume said:  “Did Mr. President threaten to rig the 2019 poll? Anybody threatening or raising alarm about rigging is the rigger. Buhari by his personality and character is not somebody that will rig election or encourage rigging.

    “Let me add that the same Buhari went into election because PDP rigged three times. They think everyone is in the same position like PDP or would take advantage to rig election.

    “We assure them that APC will not rig elections because it is not in our character.”

    There were indications at press time  that the National Assembly had a legal hurdle to cross in overriding the President because of a case in court.

    Three political parties have filed an action at the Federal High Court, Abuja seeking an order of the court to stop President Muhammadu Buhari from assenting to the Electoral Amendment Bill 2018.

    The parties are Advanced Peoples Democratic Alliance, (APDA), Allied Peoples Movement, (APM) and Movement for Restoration and Defence of Democracy (MRDD).

    They also asked the court to declare that signing the bill into law would truncate the 2019 general election.

    The respondents in the suit are the Senate President, the Speaker, House of Representatives, the INEC Chairman and the Attorney-General of the Federation

    It was learnt that until this matter is disposed of by the court, any action taken by the National Assembly on the bill will be subjudice.”