With 48 hours to the end of the life span of the 8th National Assembly, TAIYE ODEWALE examines the politics and drama that shaped it, particularly the Senate under the bipartisan leadership of Bukola Saraki and Ike Ekweremadu.
8th set to adjourn sine die
Aside colours and styles in terms of leadership and legislative direction from one senate to the other within the last 60 years (1959 – 2019), none was as dramatic as the eighth senate that will in 48 hours time, precisely Thursday this week, adjourn sine die, ahead of the inauguration of the ninth senate and by extension, 9th National Assembly next week.
The dramatic colouration of the 8th senate as captured in a 20 – chapter and 210 pages book written by this reporter was largely driven by the bipartisan leadership it started with on Tuesday, June 9, 2015, when senators Abubakar Bukola Saraki (then of the APC Kwara central now PDP), emerged as its president in alliance with Ike Ekweremadu (PDP Enugu west), as Deputy senate president.
Odewale’s Reporter’s Diary
The book, which is more of a ‘ Reporter’s Diary’, chronicled the attacks against the Saraki-led eighth senate from amongst senators and outside the National Assembly as well as counter offensive from the senate against such attacks with attendant dramatic ripple effects in the polity, the heights of which were the mace theft saga of Wednesday, April 18, 2018. Of course, the gale of defections by federal lawmakers in both the Senate and the House of Representatives from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in July 2018 and partisan fireworks among members of both parties at the 2019 budget presentation by President Muhammadu Buhari on the 19th of December 2018, equally stood out like sore thumbs.
On academic template, chapters one to three of the book titled: ” 8th Senate……the Politics ….the Drama …the Legislative Milestones”, were devoted for literature review on parliamentary democracy in Nigeria from elective principle of the Clifford constitution of 1922 to the sixth and seventh senates, headed by the immediate past senate president, Senator David Mark along with Senator Ike Ekweremadu as deputy senate president.
Historically in chapters two and three, the fact was established that though Senator Bukola Saraki is the president of the eighth Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria but he is number 13th in that capacity by listing Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe , Chief Dennis Osadebey, Dr Nwafor Orizu, Senators Joseph Wayas, Iorchia Ayu, Ameh Ebutte, Evan Enwerem, Chuba Okadigbo, Pius Anyim, Adolphus Wabara, Ken Nnamani and David Mark in chronological order from 1959 to June 2015 as earlier presidents of senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Chapters four and five of the book, captured the dramatic beginning of the eighth senate with emergence of Saraki and Ike Ekweremadu as president and deputy president on bipartisan template against the wish of the then, John Odigie Oyegun led national leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) that earlier penciled down Senators Ahmad Lawan (Yobe North) and George Akume (Benue North-west) for the two presiding positions.
Controversies over Saraki and others
The attacks and counter attacks that followed which culminated in the sudden arraignment and trial of Senator Bukola Saraki at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) in September 2015 by the Federal Government of Nigeria through the office of the Attorney – General of the Federation on alleged false assets declaration from which he was later discharged and acquitted, were well captured by the author in chapter five.
Continuation of the in-house attacks against Saraki’s leadership of the eighth senate were the focus in chapter six, largely devoted to Senator Kabiru Marafa’s vehement opposition to the 65 standing committees first constituted by Senator Bukola Saraki as unveiled on the 4th of November, 2015.
Senator Marafa’s opposition against the committees which almost earned him suspension from the senate were launched in different dimensions and fired from cylinders within his disposals from points of order on the floor of the senate to series of interviews with journalists covering the senate and alignment with former President Olusegun Obasanjo in February 2016 over allegation that corruption thrives in the National Assembly, the potency of which was, however, weakened with reshuffling of chairmanship of the standing committees by Saraki in November 2016, upon which Marafa moved from chairman, Senate Committee on National Identity and National Population to chairman, Senate Committee on Petroleum (Downstream).
Saraki and by extension, senate’s counter offensives against attacks within and beyond, dominated chapters seven and eight of the book where circumstances that led to rejection of Ibrahim Mustapha Magu as substantive chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) twice, request for removal of David Babachir Lawal as the then Secretary to the Government of the Federation, suspension of Senator Ali Ndume and summoning of the Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs Service (Col Hammed Ali) in uniform by the senate were captured.
The offensive from the senate against agents of the executive arm of government continued in chapter nine of the book devoted to Senator Isa Hamma Misau’s attacks against the then Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ibrahim Idris, which culminated in litigation by the latter against Senator Misau and Senator Francis Alimikhena led ad-hoc committee set up by the senate to look into allegations and counter allegations levelled against each other by Misau and the former IGP.
As captured by the author in chapter 10 of the book, big cracks emerged among senators in February 2018 over the first version of 2010 Electoral Act (amendment ) bill 2018 passed by both the Senate and the House of Representatives preparatory to the recently conducted 2019 general elections.
Cracks and controversial bills
The crack, which divided them into pro and anti Buhari senators, centered on the provisions contained in section 25(1) of the Electoral Act (amendment) bill which sought for reordering of sequence of the 2019 general elections perceived by the pro Buhari senators like Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa West), Ovie Omo-Agege (Delta Central) etc, as law targeted against re-election of the President.
Arguments for and against the provision by Senators across the divides, led to chain of occurrences and happenings in the senate and by extension, National Assembly from suspension of Omo-Agege by the senate on the 12th of April 2018, removal of Senator Abdullahi Adamu as chairman, Northern Senators’ forum, invasion of the senate’s hallowed chambers and snatching of its mace by yet- to- be apprehended hoodlums on the 18th of April, 2018, police onslaughts against Senators Bukola Saraki and Dino Melaye, gale of defections by senators from APC to PDP in July 2018, siege on the premises of the National Assembly by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) in August 2018 etc, as captured by the author in chapters 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 , 16 and 17 of the book.
Heavy weights cross carpeting
In chapter 18, after the senators slugged it out on the political field in February and March this year during the general elections, the author put up analysis on the high turnover of senators who lost out in the election from the senate president, Bukola Saraki to other heavyweights like the former minority leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio the ratio of which was 67 to 42 returnees.
Mile stones of eight senate
Chapter 19 of the book is devoted to legislative milestones made by the eighth senate under Saraki’s presidency with about 250 bills passed in collaboration with the House of Representatives , powerful resolutions adopted and impactful interventions made on burning national issues at different times , the latest of which was the N10billion included in the recently passed and signed N8.9trillion 2019 budget for humanitarian crisis in Zamfara state as argued for by Senator Kabiru Marafa (APC Zamfara central).
Prognostically, the author in chapter 20 of the book captioned: “Enters the 9th Senate”, made a short analysis on the likely shape and colour it will take, which he said will be different from that of the eclipsing 8th eenate.
“The race for the presidency of the ninth senate at inauguration on Monday, June 10, 2019 or Tuesday, June 11, 2019, looks triangular among the leader of the eighth senate, Senator Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan his predecessor, Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume and Appropriation Committee chairman, Senator Mohammed Danjuma Goje.
“Though Ahmad Lawan seems to be favoured for the seat with endorsement from his party national leadership and scores of senators-elect that had openly identified with his aspiration so far, but the refusal of Ndume to step down for him and strategic positioning of Danjuma Goje as alternative dark horse in the race, may alter the equation if Lawan and his handlers are not careful.
“However, whichever way the presidency of the 9th senate goes among the three, what is certain is, it will be a senate different in agenda, colour and style from the 8th senate”, he posited.
The book as stated by the author in separate letters written to senators for its presentation is not in any way targeted at any senator or used to promote interest of any political player but strictly put together to celebrate and add values to parliamentary democracy in Nigeria; the history of which dominated chapters one to three from the Clifford Constitution of 1922 to the 7th Senate (2011- 2015).
He added that the documentary work is not only a must read for all senators who served in the eighth senate but all politically minded Nigerians.
