As at the time of going to press, 25 out of the 66 senators who made return bids into the Senate in the National Assembly election conducted on Saturday, have lost out, indicating high casualty rate when added to the 33 who earlier lost out in primary elections last year. Taiye Odewale reports.
High turnover of senators
Though trend of high turnover of elected federal lawmakers at both chambers of the National Assembly has since 2003 general elections into the 5th National Assembly been there, but the casualty rate being recorded in the just conducted elections into the 9th National Assembly seems to be higher.
Using the senate as a case study, out of the 66 serving senators that sought for return bids into the 9th senate through the elections, 25 are out by losing to fresh contenders for their seats aside the 33 senators, who had earlier lost out during primary elections of their various political parties last year.
Saraki, kwankwaso, 23 lost as at Monday
Specifically, the 25 out of the 66 senators that sought for return bids in the elections whose election results have already been declared losers by the INEC.
Among the heavy casualties are the Senate President himself, Bukola Saraki (PDP Kwara Central), Senators Rafiu Ibrahim (PDP Kwara South), Tayo Alasoadura (APC Ondo Central) and Yele Omogunwa (Ondo South).
Others are Senators Monsurat Sunmonu (ADC Oyo Central), Rilwan Adesoji (ADP Oyo South), Abiodun Olujimi (PDP Ekiti South), Duro Faseyi (PDP Ekiti North), Mao Ohuabunwa (PDP Abia North), Andy Uba (APC Anambra South) and Victor Umeh (APC Anambra Central).
Also in the category of already declared losers are Senators Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso (PDP Kano Central), Shittu Ubali (PDP Jigawa North East), Shehu Sani (PRP Kaduna Central), Mohammed Hassan (PDP Yobe South) and Binta Masi Garba (APC Adamawa North).
Misau, Gemade, among the losers
Others are Senators Hamman Isa Misau (PDP Bauchi Central), Ahmed Ogembe ( (PDP Kogi Central), Attai Aidoko (PDP Kogi East), Barnabas Gemade (SDP Benue North East) and David Umaru (APC Niger East).
Consequently, the high turnover has resulted into 68 out of the serving 109 senators completely out of membership of the 9th Senate in June.
This is even as the casualty figure may rise further among the remaining 41 senators, since not all of them have been declared winners in their return bid elections.
Only 40 serving senators to return
Expectedly, the implication of the unfolding scenario is that while just about 40 of the serving senators will be among the elected 109 senators for the 9th Senate, most of the remaining 69 others will be first timers who will have between six months to one year, to learn parliamentary practice.
Little wonder that in the 7th Senate, when a similar scenario cropped up, the then Senate Leader, Ndoma Egba, who was among those who lost out lamented that the high turnover was not good for the parliament as an institution.
According to him, having more of newly elected lawmakers at the beginning of every session, will impact negatively on the parliament as precious time that should be used in hitting the ground running, will be used in giving training on parliamentary practice to the first timers.
He added then that “since our political culture for now is more of turn by turn, there is nothing anybody can do or laws passed to prevent any elected member from being contested against by any interested person at the end of session.
” It will definitely continue to be high turnover of elected lawmakers at both chambers from session to session”.
Oloregbe, Ifeanyi Uba, others fresh on the block
The entire 66 serving senators, who sought for fresh mandate into the 9th Senate in the elections, were senators Bukola Saraki (PDP Kwara Central) but defeated by Dr Yahaya Oloriegbe of the APC, Rafiu Ibrahim (PDP Kwara South) also defeated by APC candidate in the election, Architect Lola Ashiru.
Others are Ahmed Ogembe (PDP Kogi Central), Attai Aidoko (PDP Kogi East) , Andy Uba (APC Anambra South) , Victor Umeh (APGA Anambra Central) and Stella Oduah (PDP Anambra North), Rilwan Akanbi (ADC Oyo South), Monsurat Sunmonu (ADC Oyo Central) and Abdufatah Buhari (APC Oyo North).
In the category also were the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu (PDP Enugu West), Senator Chukwuka Utazi (PDP Enugu North), Senate Minority Leader, Abiodun Olujimi (PDP Ekiti South), Duro Faseyi (PDP Ekiti North) , Deputy Minority Leader , Emmanuel Bwacha (PDP Taraba South) and Minority Whip , Philip Tanimu Aduda (PDP FCT).
Others are, Suleiman Adokwe (PDP Nasarawa South), Obinna Ogba (PDP Ebonyi Central), Sam Egwu (PDP Ebonyi North) , Mao Ohuanbunwa (PDP Abia North) Theodore Orji (PDP Abia Central) and Eyinnaya Abaribe (PDP Abia South), Albert Bassey Akpan (Akwa Ibom North East), Gebshom Bassey (Cross River North), Rose Oko (Cross River South), James Manager (Delta South), Peter Nwaoboshi (Delta North), Mathew Urhoghide (Edo South) and Clifford Ordia (Edo Central).
From the North East and North West in this category are senators Mohammed Hassan ( Yobe South), Isa Misau (Bauchi South), Suleiman Nazif (Bauchi North), Ibrahim Abdullahi Danbaba (Sokoto Central), Ubali Shittu (Jigawa North), Danjuma La’ah (Kaduna South), Suleiman Hunkuyi (Kaduna North) and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso (Kano Central).
The Senate Leader, Ahmed Lawan (Yobe North), Deputy Leader, Bala Ibn Na’Allah (Kebbi south) and Deputy whip of the Senate, Francis Alimekhena (Edo North), Oluremi Tinubu (Lagos Central), Adeola Olamilekan (Lagos West), Tayo Alasoadura ( Ondo central), Ajayi Boroffice (Ondo North), Yele Omogunwa (Ondo South), Abdulfatah Buhari (Oyo North), David Umoru (Niger East), Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi (Niger North), George Akume (Benue North west) and Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa west).
On the APC platform from South East and South South are Senators Benjamin Uwajumogu (Imo Central), Andy Uba (Anambra South), Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom North West), Nelson Effiong (Akwa Ibom South) and Ovie Omo – Agege (Delta Central.
From North East and North West on the APC platform are senators Ali Ndume (Borno South), Abubakar Kyari (Borno North), Binta Garba Masi (Adamawa North), Yusuf Abubakar Yusuf ( Taraba Central), Danjuma Goje (Gombe Central) and Lawan Yahaya Gumau ( Bauchi South).
Others are Ahmed Baba Kaita (Katsina North), Ibrahim Gobir (Sokoto East), Aliyu Wammako (Sokoto South), Jibrin Barau (Kano North), Kabiru Gaya (Kano South), Abdullahi Yahaya (Kebbi North) and Mohammed Gumel (Jigawa North).
