Deji Elumoye writes that the Ninth Senate billed for inauguration in
June will have 16 ranking senators who have spent between eight and 16
years in the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly
Every four
years when elections into parliamentary seats are held in the country,
more than 50 percent of federal legislators don’t get re-elected. This
year is not an exception. However, there a couple of federal lawmakers,
especially Senators who have been able to weather the storm in their
senatorial districts and have consistently won re-election for a record
three and five times. So, in the 9th Senate to be inaugurated in June,
16 ranking Senators will stand out among the 109-member Senate as having
spent between eight and 16 years in the hallowed chambers.
IKE EKWEREMADU
Top
on the list is Senator Ike Ekweremadu who has spent 16 solid years in
the Senate and has been re-elected for a record fifth time by voters in
Enugu West senatorial district. He has been Deputy Senate President
since 2007. Ekweremadu, started his political career in I999 as a local
government chairman in his home state, Enugu before contesting for the
Senate seat in 2003. He is passionate about devolution of power and
sponsored the state police bill along with 76 other Senators which is at
the second reading stage at the Senate. Ekweremadu has been consistent
with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on which platform he has been
re-elected five times to the Senate.
JAMES MANAGER
Another
fifth timer is Senator James Manager, representing Delta South since
2003. Well respected among his colleagues, Manager who is a PDP Senator,
is Chairman of Senate Committee on Power. He had in the past sponsored
many bills and he will bring to bear on the 9th Senate his legislative
experience spanning over 16 years.
AHMAD LAWAN
Senator
Ahmad Lawan was elected Senator in 2007 after serving as a member of
the House of Representatives from 1999 to 2007. He is the Leader of the
Senate. At the beginning of the 8th Senate in June, 2015, the APC Yobe
South Senator was the choice of the Presidency for the coveted Senate
Presidency seat but was outsmarted, by Dr. Bukola Saraki who emerged
Senate President and Chairman of the National Assembly. As Senate
Leader, he introduces debate on issues, motions and bills presented
before the Senate.
ENYINNAYA ABARIBE
Senator Enyinnaya
Abaribe has been representing Abia South senatorial district since
2007. He was deputy governor of Abia state during the first term of
Governor Orji Uzor Kalu in 1999. Abaribe is Chairman of the South East
Senate caucus. Last year, he was detained for days by the Department of
State Service (DSS). The PDP Senator is usually critical of government
policies and takes his time to fault many government appointments on the
floor of the Senate.
ALI NDUME
Senator Ali Ndume
represents APC Borno South in the Senate since 2011 having served as a
two-time member of the House of Representatives (2003 to 2011). At the
inauguration of the eighth Senate on June 9, 2015, Ndume emerged as
Senate Leader before he was removed in February, 2017. He is a committed
Buharist who defends the President’s policies at any point in time
during plenary.
PHILIP ADUDAH
Senator Philip Aduda is
Senate Minority Whip and has been in the Senate since 2011. Popularly
called Landlord by his colleagues because the National Assembly is
domiciled in his senatorial district, Adudah, a PDP FCT Senator had
earlier served as a two-time member of the House of Representatives from
2003 to 2011.
DANJUMA GOJE
Senator Danjuma Goje is
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation. His committee will be
busy once Senate resumes plenary on March 12 scrutinising the 2019
Appropriation Bill submitted by President Muhammadu Buhari to the
National Assembly last December. Goje who represents APC Gombe Central
has been in the Senate since 2011. He was a two-time governor of Gombe
state from 2003 to 2011.
KABIRU GAYA
Senator Kabiru Gaya
is APC senator representing Kano South and has been in the Red Chambers
since 2011. He was a former governor of Kano state during the Third
Republic.
ADAMU ALIERO
Senator Adamu Aliero has been a ranking APC Kebbi central Senator since 2011.He had earlier served as Kebbi state governor.
OLUREMI TINUBU
Senator
Oluremi Tinubu, is also a third time Senator representing Lagos Central
on the platform of APC. She is the wife of the National Leader of the
APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and is Chairman of Senate Committee on
Environment. In the 7th Senate, she was the Chairman of the Senate
committee on Women Affairs.
ABDULLAHI ADAMU
Senator
Abdullahi Adamu has been in the Senate since 2011. The APC Senator from
Nasarawa West senatorial district is Chairman of Senate Committee on
Agriculture. At the inception of the Fourth Republic, Adamu served as
governor of Nasarawa state for two terms (1999 to 2007).
AJAYI BOROFFICE
Senator
Ajayi Boroffice has been in the Red Chamber since 2011 and he
represents Ondo North senatorial district on the platform of APC.
TESLIM FOLARIN
Senator
Teslim Folarin is staging a come-back to the Senate having earlier
served in the fifth and sixth senate from 2003 to 2011. He was the
Senate Leader during the sixth Senate from 2007 to 2011 when he
represented Oyo Central on the platform of PDP. He had since defected to
the APC under which platform he won the senatorial election.
GEORGE SEKIBO
Senator
George Sekibo, like Folarin, is also staging a come-back having served
in the sixth and seventh senate. He is coming to represent Rivers East
on the platform of PDP.
IBRAHIM GOBIR
Senator Ibrahim Gobir is a third time Senator representing APC Sokoto East. He is Chairman of the Senate services committee.
EMMANUEL BWACHA
Senator Emmanuel Bwacha has been a PDP Senator representing Taraba South since 2011.He is Senate Deputy Minority Leader
