As 10th Senate beckons, fold of former governors depletes to 13

Ahead of inauguration of 10th Senate in six weeks time, TAIYE ODEWALE re – examines configuration of its membership, particularly, the fold of former governors hitherto turning the Senate into retirement havenLike previous ones before it, the 10th National Assembly will be inaugurated in June in accordance with proclamation that would be issued to that effect by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu after being sworn in, as President and Commander – in – Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on May 29, 2023.

The first of such Assemblies to be inaugurated in  the present fourth republic, was the fourth National Assembly, inaugurated on the 4th of June, 1999 which produced Senator Evans Enwerem as President of the Senate and Salisu Buhari as Speaker of the House of Representatives.The then President Olusegun Obasanjo had in line with relevant provisions of the 1999 Constitution, issued proclamation to that effect which he also did four years after in 2003 with inauguration of the 5th National Assembly on 6th of June, 2003. 

Expectedly, the 6th National Assembly followed in June 2007 with Presidential proclamation from the then President (now late) Umaru Musa Yar ‘ Adua, 7th National Assembly in June 2011 with Presidential Proclamation by the then President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, 8th National Assembly also in June 2015 with Presidential Proclamation from President Muhammadu Buhari and of course, inauguration of the 9th National Assembly on Tuesday, June 11, 2019 with Presidential Proclamation to that effect by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Configuration of membership in Senate as case study 

The National Assembly being a bi – cameral legislature, consists of both the Senate and the House of Representatives which are inaugurated separately  by the Clerk to the National Assembly 

First of such inaugurations in line with laid down procedures, takes place in the Senate with election of the two presiding officers i .e, President and Deputy President of the Senate, administering of oats of office and allegiance on them after which the CNA moves to the House of Representatives for similar inauguration.

After emergence of  the two presiding officers, other Senators – elect as part of the inauguration, also on state by state basis, swear to oats of office and allegiance with Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and  any of the Holy Books, depending on their religious faith.

Right from the first republic, the Senate in Nigeria like in other democracies of the world, has always been assemblage of highly accomplished personalities in various fields of human endeavours and with required experience and knowledge in public service.

Within the categories of accomplished personalities in the Senate in the present fourth republic, are former States  governors which the likes of Senators David Mark, Jim Nwobodo, Tunde Ogbeha etc, fell into as part of the pioneer senators of the fourth republic.

Number  of such former States governors in the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th Senate was below 10 but rose to 18 in the 8th Senate which made many of the public affairs commentators to allege them of turning the Senate into their retirement haven.

The 18 Senators who were former governors of one state or the other, in the 8th Senate were Bukola Saraki (Kwara Central), Shaaba Lafiagi (Kwara North), David Mark (Benue South), George Akume (Benue North West), Jonah Jang (Plateau North), Joshua Dariye (Plateau Central), Jeremiah Useni (Plateau South) and Isiaka Adeleke (Osun West) now late.

Others were Theodore Orji (Abia Central), Sam Egwu (Ebonyi North), Bukar Abba Ibrahim (Yobe East), Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso (Kano Central), Kabiru Gaya (Kano South), Aliyu Wammako (Sokoto North), Adamu Aliero (Kebbi Central), Danjuma Goje (Gombe Central), Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom North West) and Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa West).

The numerical strength exerted by the former governors in terms of number in the red chamber during the 8th Senate, was sustained in the about to end 9th Senate with 17 of them.

The 17 Senators are Kashim Shettima (Borno Central),  Kabiru Gaya (Kano South), Ibrahim Shekarau (Kano Central), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun Central), Gabriel Suswam (Benue North East), Sam Egwu (Ebonyi North), Rochas Okorocha (Imo West), Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa West) and Umaru Tanko Al – Makura (Nasarawa South).

Others are Senators Orji Uzor Kalu (Abia North), Theodore Orji (Abia Central), Chimaroke Nnamani (Enugu East), Aliyu Wammako (Sokoto North), Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa West), Adamu Aliero (Kebbi Central), Danjuma Goje (Gombe Central) and Ibrahim Gaidam (Yobe East).

The depletion to 13 ahead of the 10th Senate 

However, going by outcomes of elections conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on February 25, 2023 in 108 out of 109 Senatorial Districts across the country and the one later conducted in Enugu East senatorial district on March 18, 2023 as well as supplementary elections conducted in some of the Senatorial Districts, number of former governors in the Senate will  drastically dropped from 17 to 13 in the 10th Senate.

Among the 17 who are not returning due to electoral defeats, are Chimaroke Nnamani (Enugu East), Sam Egwu (Ebonyi North) , Kabiru Gaya ( Kano South), Gabriel Suswam (Benue North East) and Umaru Tanko Al- Makura (Nasarawa South).

Those who are not moving from 9th to 10th Senate among the former State governors due to political exigencies, are the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Adamu Abdullahi, Senator Rochas Okorocha, Ibikunle Amosun and Theodore Orji totalling Nine all together.

But victories secured by seven  other former governors in the elections, helped to raise up the depletion from 8 to 13 ahead of the 10th Senate.

The seven former or serving  governors who secured fresh mandates for the 10th  Senate , are David Umahi (Ebonyi South), Waziri Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto South), Adams Oshiomhole (Edo North), Gbenga Daniel (Ogun East), Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara West), Ibrahim Hassan Dankwabo (Gombe North ) and Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom North West).

Commenting on the depletion of numbers of former governors in the about to be inaugurated 10th Senate in Abuja recently, a public affairs analyst, Jide Ojo said defeats suffered by seven sitting governors in their bids to secure seats in the 10th Senate, helped to reduce their numbers from the earlier projected 20, to 13.

“Though painful to the sitting governors who lost but gainful to the Senate that would have been held by the jugular by commanding figure of 20 former governors”, he said.

The affected seven serving governors who lost out in their contests for seats in the 10th Senate are Dairus  Ishaku (PDP Taraba South), Atiku Bagudu (APC Kebbi Central), Benedict Ayade (APC Cross River North), Samuel Ortom (PDP Benue North West), Simeon Lalong (APC  Plateau South), Okezie Ipeazu (PDP Abia South) and Ifeanyi  Ugwuanyi (PDP Enugu North).

With number of former governors in the Senate, depleting from 18 to 17 in the 9th Senate and from 17 to 13, in the about to be inaugurated 10th Senate, political watchers are obviously keeping their fingers crossed, on what will happen to the number in 2027.

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