8th Senate: Saraki sworn in as President, Ekweremadu Deputy
Sen. Bukola Saraki (APC-Kwara Central) was on Tuesday sworn-in as President of the 8th Senate, while Ike Ekweremadu (PDP-Enugu-West) was sworn in as Deputy Senate President.
Saraki’s swearing in by Clerk of the National Assembly, Mr Salisu Maikasuwa, followed his nomination by Sen. Ahmed Yerima (APC- Zamfara West) and seconded by Sen. Dino Melaye (APC-Kogi West).
Saraki was elected unopposed by 57 out of 108 senators-elect.
51 senators, including Sen. Ahmed Lawan (APC Yobe North), were not present as at 10:30 a.m. when Sen. Saraki was returned as elected.
Lawan was a major contender for the seat of the President of the Senate and was the choice of the APC during the Saturday mock election.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Lawan alongside other supporters had allegedly gone for a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari aimed at resolving the impasse among the contenders.
Meanwhile, Ekweremadu was sworn as Deputy President of the Senate, after he polled 54 votes to defeat Sen. Ali Ndume (APC- Borno-South), who polled 20 votes, while one vote was declared invalid.
NAN reports that the day’s activity started at 10 a.m. with the reading of President Muhammadu Buhari’s proclamation by the Clerk of National Assembly (CNA), Alhaji Abubakar Maikasuwa.
Thereafter, former President of the Senate, David Mark, and other senators-elect took their oath of office.
Maikasuwa later ordered the Deputy Clerk of the Senate, Mr Adedotun Durojaiye, to take roll call of the Senators-elect present at the Hallowed Chamber.
Maikasuwa, in the course of the roll call, cautioned all senators-elect against raising any Point of Order.
Election then commenced at 10.30 a.m.
Related
Get the latest news delivered straight to your inbox every day of the week. Stay informed with the Guardian’s leading coverage of Nigerian and world news, business, technology and sports.
11 Comments
Seriously, what is good for OKUKO is good for PEPEYE. APC helped Tambuwal to go against PDP’s choice for speakership. Why the noise then? You guys forgot so soon despite the fact that it was just yesterday that PDP lost to LIES, SCANDALS, FALSE PROPAGANDAS, BACK STABBINGS. Let me borrow a leaf from the FAKE IGODOMIGO: The whole ting is seriamalicioucusly inappropriate.
WHO IS SMILING NOW?
i think the APC as a party lacks grip on its members. Again, how could the president call for a meeting when he knew that election was the business of the day. Was it a plot to scuttle someone’s ambition?
APC is a party of rebels. As you know it is usually difficult to control rebels because they know that you too used the insubordination tools to emerge and the same tool they have and could use it against their leadership if he tries to play too hard.
Ha ha ha…I dey laugh….gangster dem-all-crazy…sorry…democracy in action. I thought APC learnt some lesson from Ekiti gubernatorial election.
Abeg wey Tinubu?
It shows that thugs have now hijack Nigeria political scene, a lot of disobedient members and someone who disregards the authority cannot be good leader. I am doubtful and I know many Nigerians are doubtful of this present leadership of the senate. Saraki has sold APC out for his selfish interest.
But Tambuwal is a great leader in your estimation. Hypocrite. Judgement awaits change.
D 8th Nat’l assembly is window to Nigeria’s quest for nationhood based on grey matter and not on arranged which throws up spoilt children over visionaries! Political parties ended after elections were won.
“When it is said to them do not spread mischief in the land, nay they say we are only peace makers. When they meet members of the party of those who do good, they say we are with you and when they meet fellow evildoers they say, don’t mind the fools we are definitely with you.”. The case of Saraki Jnr. reminds me of a story of old – A pious man was riding his horse, as he passes the house of God he decided to go in to offer some voluntary prayers. So he alighted from his horse, tied it down and gave his fine leather horse whip (those were good possessions of yore) to a boy he saw there to hold for him based on agreement. He came out and the boy and the horse whip were gone – so he called on someone else and gave him two silver coins and said to him go to the market, you’d see one boy who is selling a horse whip, buy it for 2 silver coins and bring it back to me. When the good samaritan returned with the horse whip, he told him the story of what just happened and concluded, God has meant that he will have 2 silver coins today. I was going to tip him 2 silver coins, if he had been truthful that would have been praiseworthy and he would have earned good for himself. He still got his 2 silver coins and now incurred the sin of stealing and it’s damnations.
There is enough lesson in this story for Senators Saraki, Ikweremadu, David Mark and all Senators, as well as President Buhari, APC, PDP and All Nigerians. What is your take on the lessons that can be deduced from this story, for all parties involved (in the disenfranchisement of majority of APC senators by a PDP-plot and it’s members to elect Saraki as Senate President and a PDP person as his deputy)?
Politic in Nigeria has always been intriguing and should not
be a surprise to the political observers.
What happened on the floor of the National Assembly were purely politic manoeuvring
and not a conspiracy against the
leadership of APC. For some time, we know that the handwriting is on the wall,
the manner and approach was unknown.
Before I continue, I like to mention the issue between
Saraki and the VP. I’m not totally convinced that he was disrespectful to the
VP. Whenever there is crisis, many
rumours fly around by political apologist craving for favours. However, the
office of the VP is enshrined in the constitution and should be respected. Nevertheless, Saraki is not a political
newcomer and I’m of the opinion he felt being treated as one. Saraki was a former governor of a state, a senator
of the Federal Republic, educated elite who was born and trained by one of the seasoned
political gladiator of the Nigeria political era.
This shouldn’t be a surprise, but a show of power struggle
and positioning for 2020/2012 presidential election. I know many may not have
that foresight, but unfolding events will make attest to hypothesis /
assumption. I know people will be
questioning why I’m talking about the next election and whether it is too soon
to be making a presumption, while the current dispensation is yet to take off.
Whether Nigerians believe it or not the presidential
election is rotated on Northern /southern axis. We have seen Hausa /Yoruba,
South-South /Hausa and the others think it’s time things are rearranged in
their favour too. And there is where Mark and Saraki alliance is important. At
least that is the agenda for now. But one thing that Saraki forget or
pretending not to take into consideration or thinks the other regions will not
recollect is the position of Kwara as it relates to geographical zoning they
aligned themselves with over the years.
Geographically, the Kwara people had mapped themselves with
the Fulani over the years, a position fought for by the late Turaki, which a
lot of us know was just a political ideology for the sole purpose of political
consolidation. Therefore, it is not surprising for people like me to foresee where
the whole arrangement is heading to.
I grew up in Ilorin and I was opportune to witness the
emergence, the quest for power and the supremacy of Dr Olusola Saraki on the
political arena as it relates to Kwara and Nigeria as a whole. I can remember
watching his motorcade on our balcony in Upper Niger, our street of Ilorin in
those days on his way to the emir’s palace and back to his house in the GRA. In the words of Zik, what I saw was a sea of
humanity gathering to wave and salute a man who came to emerge as the political
king maker and alpha of Ilorin politic.
The incident in the house was a continuation of what I refer
to omegalisation of the dream of the father, a DNA trait of Dr Olusola Saraki,
a man who had a gigantic dream of conquering the whole Nigeria geo-political entity. A man I admired, even though I disagreed with
his political tactics.
I believe in real federalism which Nigeria doesn’t have at
the moment. At the same time I support regionalism/parliamentary system of
government and I am of the view that Saraki and the others can only realise
their ambition under their system. No regional leaders ever control the
national. Few words are enough for the
wise.
I know Bukola Saraki is ambitious and he still has the
option of returning to PDP.
The writer lives and
work in UK
This was how PDP wanted to rig in the election of Jonathan. They just showed how with Saraki…There was selection and the clerk has some explaining to do…, 51 APC Senator-elect were absent, as well as, at least one PDP-Senator elect ( I imagine there are more than one …see the clip) were also absent. See the clip and think for yourself what just happened at the senate, copy the following url onto your browser and take a listen to Ben Bruce https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZrGDULpEZQ&feature=youtu.be
We will review and take appropriate action.