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By Henry Umoru, Assistant Politics Editor
WITH 55 of the 109 serving senators out of the race for the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly after opting out or failing to get return tickets the 10th Senate will be dominated by freshers. Of the 54 senators, who got tickets from various parties, is doubtful if most of them will prevail in Saturday’s election.
From all indications, the 10th Senate will have many new faces who must blend with the old ones in order to have robust legislative activities.
Three reasons account for 55 lawmakers’ non-possession of return tickets
Some of them aspired for higher political offices, some lost outright at the party primaries and others stepped down because of zoning arrangements in their respective senatorial districts.
Some serving senators were pushed out of the race by second-term governors, who want to go to the Senate, which has become a routine in Nigeria’s polity. State Executives who are rounding off their stewardship in their respective states now find the Senate as a retirement place.
Senators who vied for presidency, others
Prior to the primaries mid- last year, four Senators had written and indicated interest to contest for the position of the President as that connotes that they were not coming back to the Senate.
They were Senate President Ahmad Lawan, APC, Yobe North; Rochas Okorocha, APC, Imo West; Ibikunle Amosun, APC, Ogun Central and Ajayi Robert Borrofice, APC, Ondo North.
Prior to that, three Senators had resigned from the Senate following their election and appointment into various positions outside the National Assembly. They were Senators Abdullahi Adamu, APC, Nasarawa West, who became the National Chairman of the ruling APC; Abubakar Kyari, APC, Borno North, who became the Deputy National Chairman of the party; and Hassan Mohammed, APC, Zamfara Central who was appointed the Deputy Governor of Zamfara State.
Those who did not pick forms to come back but wanted to go to their various Government Houses were the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo- Agege, APC, Delta Central; former Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, PDP, Enugu West; Senator James Manager, PDP, Delta South: Senate Minority Leader, and Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, PDP, Abia South.
Others include Senate Leader, Senator Yahaya Abdullahi, APC, Kebbi North, former Deputy Minority leader, Senator Emmanuel Bwacha, APC, Taraba South; Senator Hezekiah Dimka, APC, Plateau Central; Senator Uba Sani, APC, Kaduna Central; Senator Teslim Folarin, APC, Oyo Central; Senator Abubakar Yusuf, APC, Taraba Central; Senator George Sekibo, PDP, Rivers East; Senator Bassey Albert Akpan, PDP, Akwa Ibom North-East; Senator Sandy Onor, PDP, Cross River Central; and Senator Gershom Bassey, PDP, Cross River South.
Also, Senator Aisha Dahiru, APC, Adamawa Central did not pick forms for the Senate. She went for the Adamawa State governorship race, she polled 430 votes to defeat former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Malam Nuhu Ribadu; and former Governor of the state, Jibrilla Bindow, to clinch the APC ticket.
Senators Oluremi Tinubu, APC, Lagos Central did not buy nomination forms in order to support her husband, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s presidential aspiration on the platform of the APC.
Senator Christopher Ekpenyong, PDP, Akwa Ibom North-West did not buy forms as Senator Yakubu Oseni, APC, Kogi Central was advised not to run by his Governor, Yahaya Bello because of his preferred candidate, Engr. Abubakar Ohere.
Also in this group of voluntary step down due to zoning arrangements in their respective senatorial districts were Senators Betty Apiafi (PDP Rivers West), and Orker – Jev Emmanuel Yisa (PDP Benue North-West).
In Plateau State, Governor Simon Lalong who got the party’s ticket will be replacing Senator Ladi Dadu’ut, APC, Plateau South, same way Governor Nasir El- Rufai’s former Chief of Staff, Muhammad Sani Abdullahi, got the party’s ticket to replace Uba Sani, Kaduna Central because Sani has got the party’s Governorship ticket.
Outright losers at primaries
In Katsina, Mukthar Dandutse defeated Senator Bello Mandiya, APC, Katsina South.
There were those who lost outright at party primaries like Senators Ibrahim Yahaya Oloriegbe (APC Kwara Central); Smart Adeyemi (APC Kogi West); Ayo Akinyelure (PDP Ondo Central); Danjumah La’ah (PDP Kaduna South); Nicholas Tofowomo (PDP Ondo South), Onyewuchi Ezenwa Francis (PDP Imo East); Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi (APC Niger North); and Matthew Urhoghide, PDP, Edo South.
In the case of Sabi Abdullahi, who is well loved by his people, especially the Borgu Kingdom, his Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello kicked him out of the race.
Others in this category were Senators Jika Haliru Dauda (APC Bauchi Central); Bulkachuwa Adamu Muhammad (APC Bauchi North); Amos Bulus Kilawangs (APC Gombe South); Mandiya Bello (APC Katsina South; and Gyang Istifanus Dung (PDP Plateau North).
Akpabio, Lawan’s dramatic re-entry
It was a different ball game for former Akwa Ibom state Governor, Senator Godswill Akpabio, who had resigned as Minister of Niger Delta Affairs to contest for the Presidency. After stepping down for Asiwaju Bola Tinubu at the APC presidential primaries, he sought to return to the Senate but the man, who had the ticket, Udom Ekpoudom, refused. Akpabio went to court and got victory at the apex court. The Court of Appeal had ruled that Akpabio, being a presidential aspirant of the APC, did not participate in the primary of the party held on May 27, 2022, and monitored by INEC, which produced Udom Ekpoudom as the APC candidate.
The same scenario played out for Senate President Lawan. He participated in the Presidential primaries at Eagle Square in Abuja, and lost.
While he was running for the presidency, Bashir Machina clinched the Yobe North Senatorial ticket. However, the APC returned Lawan as its candidate forcing Machina to fight for his mandate in court.
However, Lawan had the upper hand at the Supreme Court, which declared him as the authentic candidate of the APC for Yobe North.
The court made the declaration in a three-against-two split judgment of its five-member panel. The panel was led by Centus Nweze.
The majority judgment held that the decisions of the Federal High Court in Yobe and the Court of Appeal in Abuja “were perverse and must be set aside.”
The APC had challenged the judgments of the lower courts which affirmed Bashir Machina as the candidate of Yobe North Senatorial District for the election.
Having reclaimed his return ticket, will Lawan win the election proper? Having spent 23 years in the National Assembly, first in the House of Representatives and in the Senate, what next for him in the 10th Senate, if he returns? Will he retain the Senate Presidency? Zoning arrangement and decision of senators on the floor will be at play.
Abaribe versus Ikpeazu in Abia
Also, Senator Abaribe, who could not get the PDP’s governorship ticket in Abia, dumped the party, and his Minority leadership position and went to the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA to pick the Abia South Senatorial ticket. To return to the Senate he has to beat Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, who picked the PDP ticket and other candidates on Saturday.
Looming battle for 10th Senate leadership
If things go their way, many former governors will be in the 10th Senate and this will make the game of who becomes President of the Senate or Deputy Senate President a hot one. There would also be the game for principal officers of the Senate, though this is purely the affairs of the party and the tussle for very juicy positions would come if the tradition of ranking plays out.
Currently, no fewer than 28 serving and former governors are in the race for the 10th Senate. While the North has 18 serving and former governors who may want to be the President of the Senate, the South has 11.
The current National Assembly whose life will expire on June 11, 2023 has 14 former governors.
The former and serving governors contesting in the 2023 Senatorial election include Kabiru Gaya (Kano), Abubakar Bagudu (Kebbi), Chimaroke Nnamani (Enugu), Tanko Al-makura (Nasarawa), Danjuma Goje (Gombe), Simon Lalong (Plateau), Gbenga Daniel (Ogun), Sani Bello (Niger), Samuel Ortom (Benue) and Theodore Orji (Abia); Adams Oshiomhole (Edo), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara),
Others are Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Darius Ishaku (Taraba), Ibrahim Gaidam (Yobe), Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Saminu Turaki (Jigawa), Gabriel Suswan (Benue), Ibrahim Shekarau (Kano), Dave Umahi (Ebonyi), Adamu Aliero (Kebbi), Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto), Sam Egwu (Ebonyi), Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe), Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom) and Orji Kalu (Abia).
Having a cursory look at the states and the contest, in Abia State, while Abaribe will be having it hot with his present governor, Okezie Ikpeazu for Abia South, the former Governor and present Chief Whip, Orji Uzor Kalu (APC) will be fighting it out with Senator Mao Ohuabunwa (PDP) for Abia North.
In Edo State, the incumbent Senator and former Deputy Whip, Senator Francis Alimikhena, PDP and former Governor Adams Oshiomhole of the APC are in battle for Edo North Senatorial District.
In Borno, former Governor, Senator Kashim Shettima, is not returning having emerged as APC vice presidential candidate. However, Senator Ali Ndume is running.
In Niger State, the Deputy Senate Whip, Senator Sabi Aliyu Abdullahi, APC, Niger North was removed by his Governor, Abubakar Sanni Bello who got the party’s ticket. Senator Sani Musa, APC, Niger East and Senator Bima Enagi, APC, Niger South got return tickets.
In Delta State, while Senators Omo- Agege and Manager are not coming back to the Senate, Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, APC, Delta North got the ticket of his party and he is presently embattled; Ighoyota Amori got the PDP ticket for Delta Central; Ned Nwoko, PDP ticket for Delta North and Michael Diden, PDP ticket for Delta South.
In Anambra State, Uche Ekwunife, PDP, Anambra Central and Senator Stella Uduah, PDP, Anambra North got the party’s tickets to return.
In the FCT, a very ranking Senator and the Minority leader of the Senate, Senator Philip Tanimu Aduda, PDP, FCT, polled 190 votes out of 191 to win the return ticket and return to the Senate, he is in the race with Ireti Kingibe of the Labour Party, LP, Zakari Angulu, among others.
In the North-West, only one of the three Senators from Jigawa state, namely Hadejia Hassan Ibrahim, Sankara Danladi Abubakar and Mohammed Sabo Nakudu got a return ticket.
Nakudu who represents Jigawa South West, got his return ticket last week in a fresh primary election conducted by APC after the demise of Tijjani Ibrahim who won the primary election three months ago. Nakudu had earlier ran for the governorship ticket but lost to the current Deputy Governor, Alhaji Umar Namadi.
In Zamfara State, only one of the three serving Senators secured a return ticket. While Senator Sabi Ya’u (Zamfara North) succeeded in getting a return ticket, Senator Lawali Hassan Anka (Zamfara West) sacrificed his seat for the former governor of the state, Abdulaziz Yari who is being pacified by the state governor, Bello Mattawale along with Senator Kabiru Marafa for Zamfara Central senatorial ticket.
In Kaduna State, only Senator Suleiman Abdul – Kwari (Kaduna North) secured a return ticket
in Kano State, while Senators Kabiru Gaya ( APC Kano South) and Jibrin Barau ( APC Kano North), secured return tickets, Ibrahim Shekarau failed and defected to the NNPP for the ticket but later dumped the NNPP for PDP.
In Sokoto state, all three serving Senators got return tickets.
In the North Central geo-political zone, particularly Plateau state, none of the three serving Senators namely Professor Nora Ladi Daduut (Plateau South) Dimka Hezekiah (Plateau Central) and Gyang Istifanus Dung (Plateau North), a secured return ticket from their parties.
In Kogi state, Senators Smart Adeyemi (Kogi West) and Yakubu Oseni (Kogi Central) are not returning to the Senate with only Senator Jibrin Isa (Kogi East), securing a returning ticket.
In Nasarawa state, Senator Tanko Al – Makura (APC Nasarawa South) got a return ticket while Godiya Akwashiki who had earlier lost in the APC primaries succeeded in getting a Senatorial ticket from the Social Democratic Party, SDP.
In Benue and Kwara states respectively, two out of the three Senators from the states, secured return tickets Those that didn’t get return tickets were Ibrahim Yahaya Oloriegbe (Kwara Central) and Orker – Jev Emmanuel Yisa (Benue North West) as the Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom is seeking to replace him.
Only Senator Barinada Mpigi (Rivers South-East), secured a return ticket in Rivers State.
Senator Eyinkenyi Akon Etim from Akwa Ibom state is the Deputy Governorship candidate of the PDP. In Bayelsa State, the three serving senators secured return tickets.
In South East geo-political zone, only Senator Ezenwa Francis (Imo East) secured a senatorial ticket from the Labour party while Senators Rochas Okorocha (Imo West) and Chukwuma Frank Ibezim (Imo North) are not returning.
Source Link: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2023/02/newcomers-dominated-senate-looms/
