Politics
Full List of Nigeria’s Senate Presidents Till Date
The Nigeria National Assembly is made up of both the Senate, which is the upper house of Nigeria’s legislature and the House of Representatives which is the lower chambers of the National Assembly of Nigeria. The National Assembly is the country’s highest law making body empowered to make laws on behalf of the state according to Chapter one, Section four of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution.
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The Senate is made up of 109 senators: 3 senators from each state senatorial district while the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) elects only one senator to represent their interest at the upper chambers.
The President of the Senate is the presiding officer of the Senate and the third citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. His primary role is to regulate, spare head and guide the proceedings in the Senate House. The constitution also gives the Senate President the power to become the President of the country after the demise of the President and his Vice.
The current Senate President in Nigeria is Sen. Ahmed Lawan (as at 2020). The Deputy Senate President, Omo Agege. Both Senators were elected to the senate under the All Progressive Congress (APC) political party.
From Nigeria Independence in 1960 till date, Nigeria has produced 14 Senate Presidents. A few of them are alive while others are dead. The first five ruled during the first, second and third republic while the others ruled in the fourth republic (democratic era).
POSITION | NAME | TENURE | POLITICAL PARTY |
1 | Nnamdi Azikiwe | 1960 | NCNC |
2 | Dennis Osadebay | 1960-1963 | NCNC |
3 | Nwafor Orizu | 1963-1966 | NCNC |
4 | Joseph Wayas | 1979- 1983 | NPN |
5 | Iyorchia Ayu | 1992-1993 | SDP |
6 | Ameh Ebute | 1993 | SDP |
7 | Evan Enwerem | 1999 | PDP |
8 | Chuba Okadigbo | 1999-2000 | PDP |
9 | Anyim Pius Anyim | 2000-2003 | PDP |
10 | Adolphus Wabara | 2003-2005 | PDP |
11 | Ken Nnamani | 2005-2007 | PDP |
12 | David Mark | 2007-2015 | PDP |
13 | Bukola Saraki | 2015- 2020 | PDP |
14 | Ahmed Lawan | 2019 till date | APC |
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Nigeria’s Senate Presidents From 1999 Till Date
Evan Enwerem
He was an Igbo senator representing Imo-East Senatorial Zone who became the Fourth Republic first Nigeria Senate President to occupy the office on August 3 after contesting and defeating Chuba Okadigbo.
Evans was born on October 29, 1935 in Ikeduru Local government, Imo state. He was one time chairman of the Nigerian Airports Authority from 1980 to 1983. He was also elected governor of Imo State in 1991.
Corruption charges against Evans Enwerem including allegations that he falsified his name spelt the end of his tenure as President of the Senate. He died in 2007.
Dr. Chuba Okadigbo
Dr. Chuba Okadigbo succeeded Evans Enwerem as the second Senate President of the Fourth Republic after the later was impeached.
He was born August 17, 1941 and was an assistant professor of philosophy University of the District of Columbia, adjunct assistant professor of politics the Catholic University of America, and adjunct assistant professor of politics Howard University before he entered politics.
He too was charged with corruption and had his position taken from him on August 2000. He was the running mate to Muhammadu Buhari in the 2003 general elections under the ANPP. Chuba Okadigbo died in 2003
Ayim Pius Ayim
Pius Ayim occupied the office of the senate president for 3 years after Chuba Okadigbo was impeached on August 1999.
Born on 19 August, 1961, he was elected Senator on the People’s Democratic Party platform in 1999 for the Ebonyi South constituency of Ebonyi State
The last political position he attained was the position to Secretary to the Government of the Federation during President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.
Adolphus Wabara
Adolphus Wabara is a former Nigerian senator who represented the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Abia State. He became a senator in 1999, and was president of the Senate of Nigeria from 2003 to 2005, he continued his tenure as a senator until 2007 when he stepped down.
He was appointed President of the Senate in 2003, but was accused of alleged corruption bordering on abuse of authority. Adolphus Wabara denied the allegations and saw it as an attempt to usurp him from office. In 2005 Wabara resigned after allegations of him allegedly collecting $400,000 bribe from the education minister, Fabian Osuji.
Ken Nnamani
Ken Ugwu Nnamani is a Nigerian politician who was President of the Senate of Nigeria from 2005 to 2007. Ken Nnamani become the Senate President after Aldophus Wabara resigned. A member of the People’s Democratic Party, he was elected to the Senate from Enugu East Senatorial District of Enugu State in 2003 and served in the Senate until 2007.He served for two years before he was replaced by Senator David Mark.
David Mark
He is known to be Nigeria’s longest serving Senate president who served for eight years and is still a siting senator at the National Assembly. He has occupied many political positions prior to his election as President of the senate on August 6, 2007 till 2015. David Alechenu Bonaventure Mark, GCON is a retired Nigerian Army Brigadier General and politician.He was the Senator for Benue South Senatorial District Benue State. He is a member of the People’s Democratic Party. David Mark is known for his stance against the U.K on position on same sex marriage where he once responded to the UK that they should keep their aid after they threatened to withdraw their support.
Bukola Saraki
He is the immediate past Senate President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Born 19 December 1962, to one of the richest families in the country. His father, Olusola Saraki, was a senator from 1979 to 1983. Bukola Saraki was the Governor of Kwara State from 2003 to 2011 before he joined the Nigerian senate in 2011. He had worked as a medical doctor and a bank director before entering politics. He decamped from All Progressive Congress (APC) to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) during the general election where he lost his reelection bid to the Senate.
Ahmed Lawan
Ahmed Lawan is Nigeria’s current senate president of the Ninth senate. He is also an APC member. He represent Yobe North Constituency of Yobe State under the All Progressive Congress. His tenure as a senator started since 2007 Nigeria general election.
Records set by people who served as Nigeria’s Senate Presidents
- It is on record that David Mark is the longest serving senate president in the history of Nigeria (2007-2015) while his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu is still the longest serving deputy senate president from 2007 till present.
- Nwafor Orizu was the only Senate President of Nigeria ever to ascend to the Nigerian presidency through the constitutional order of succession. He was however forced to handover power to Aguiyi-Ironsi, Nigeria’s first military head of state.
Politics
Breaking: UAE lifts visa ban on Nigerians
In a significant development, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has officially lifted the visa restrictions that were previously imposed on Nigerian travelers. This announcement came from the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, following a Federal Executive Council meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu.
“I can tell you that the agreement has been reached and effective from today, Nigerian passport holders intending to travel to the UAE are able to do so,” Idris confirmed.
The lifting of these restrictions marks the end of a prolonged diplomatic dispute between the two nations. The UAE initially imposed the visa ban due to several unresolved issues, including financial disputes. Notably, Dubai’s Emirates airline had suspended flight operations to Nigeria over the Central Bank of Nigeria’s inability to remit an estimated $85 million in revenue to the UAE.
In June, after extensive negotiations, the Nigerian government reassured its citizens that the visa ban would soon be lifted. The government also announced that it had paid 98% of the $850 million owed to the UAE, paving the way for this positive outcome.
Further details on the agreement will be provided later today, as mentioned by Minister Idris. This development is expected to strengthen bilateral relations and promote travel and trade between Nigeria and the UAE.
Stay tuned for more updates as the full details of the agreement are released. For now, Nigerian travelers can start planning their trips to the UAE, free from previous travel restrictions.
Politics
I’m leaving PDP for APC – Gov Umahi of Ebonyi State
The Governor of Ebonyi State, Dave Umahi, told the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party in Abuja on Tuesday that he was leaving the party.
He said he would join the ruling All Progressives Congress which he claimed would protect the interest of the South-East in the 2023 elections.
Our correspondent gathered that Umahi told the members of the National Working Committee of the PDP that his decision to join the APC was irrevocable.
The members of the PDP NWC, who were led to the meeting by its National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, were said to have tried in vain to convince the governor not to abandon the party.
Apart from Secondus, among those that were at the meeting at the Ebonyi Governor’s Lodge in Abuja were Deputy National Secretary, Agbo Emmanuel; National Organising Secretary, Austin Akobondu; Financial Secretary, Abdullahi Maibasira; National Women Leader, Mariya Waziri and Senator Sulieman Nazif.
The governor was said to be friendly when he received the PDP delegation, but stuck to his decision to leave the PDP when the issue came up.
It was gathered that the PDP delegation impressed it upon the governor that there was no need leaving the PDP for the APC, which they argued had become unpopular.
Sources at the meeting, however, said the governor was not convinced, insisting that the APC was planning to zone the 2023 Presidency to the South-East.
He was said to have promised to stay in the PDP if the party could make a pronouncement that it would zone the Presidency to the same zone.
One of the sources said, “I think his (governor’s) mind was made up. We told him there was no need for him to abandon the party that had made him a deputy governor, state chairman of the party, two-time governor and all that. But he refused.
“He wanted us to unilaterally zone the office of the Presidency to his area. We cannot do that. Parties are not run that way. He told us he was leaving. That is what we got from him.’’
When contacted, Secondus confirmed that the party’s leadership met with Umahi.
He, however, refused to declared the details of the meeting, insisting that the meeting was on ‘‘national issues.’’
Crime
We Spent ₦2.2 Billion On Prayers Against Boko Haram – Adariko
An Economic and Financial Crimes Commission investigating officer, Adariko Michael, on Tuesday, alleged that N2.2 billion was spent on prayers in Nigeria and Saudi Arabia to win the war against Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria.
Mr. Michael was giving evidence as the first prosecution witness (PW1) in the trial of Sambo Dasuki, former National Security Adviser (ONSA) to President Goodluck Jonathan, in the alleged two billion dollars arms deal fraud.
Others charged with Mr. Dasuki, a retired colonel, are a former General Manager with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Aminu Baba-kusa, Acacia Holdings Limited, and Reliance Referral Hospital Limited.
The EFCC charged them with 32 counts bordering on misappropriation, criminal breach of trust, dishonest release and receiving various sums of money before Husseini Baba-Yusuf.
Led in evidence by the EFCC counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, Mr Micheal said N750 million was allegedly transferred from the ONSA special account to Reliance Referral Hospital Limited’s account with First Bank.
He added that N650 million was also transferred to Acacia Holding Limited’s account with EcoBank, while another N600 million and N200 million were transferred to the company’s account with UBA.
“Between September 27, 2013, and April 16, 2015, N50 million was credited to Reliance Referral Hospital’s account.
“Based on responses from the banks involved, as investigating officer, we found out that money was transferred to several individuals and companies.
“When we went through the account statement, we asked the second defendant (Aminu Babakusa) the reason for this.
“He informed us that the money was used to hire clerics to pray for the nation as regards Boko Haram crisis.
“When we asked him to provide the names, contacts and phone numbers of the clerics he hired to pray for the nation, he mentioned only two,” he said.
Mr Dasuki spent four years in detention, following his arrest in 2015 over alleged misappropriation of N2.2 billion meant for arms purchase during his time as National Security Adviser to former President Goodluck Jonathan
After the Federal Government had consistently failed to honor court orders granting him bail, including an ECOWAS court judgment in 2016, he was finally released on December 24, 2019
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