On Thursday this week, 13th June, 2024, the 10th National Assembly which comprises the Senate and the House of Representatives, will be one year in existence. TAIYE ODEWALE chronicles events that shaped the Senate
Build up to the 10th Senate and inauguration
Like those before it from the 4th to the 9th Senate (June 4, 1999 to June 10, 2023), in the current 4th republic, leadership contests among interested Senators – elect, proceeded the inauguration of the 10th Senate which took place on Tuesday, June 13, 2023, where Distinguished Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio (APC Akwa Ibom NorthWest) and Distinguished Senator Barau Jibrin ( APC Kano North), emerged as President and Deputy President of the Senate respectively.
Akpabio in the contest coordinated by the Clerk to the National Assembly (CNA), Alhaji Sani Magaji Tambawal, defeated his only challenger, Senator Abdulaziz Yari (APC Zamfara West) with 63 to 46 votes, while the Deputy President of the Senate, Jibrin Barau, emerged unopposed due to no any other nomination for the position after his own.
In his inaugural speech, Akpabio who is fondly referred to, as Uncommon President of the Senate, said: “On my part, Distinguished Senators, I affirm that this leadership shall be yours. It shall be a servant leadership; it shall be an uncommon leadership.
“To the Nigerian people, I say this:your dreams, your aspirations, and your well-being will be at the heart of everything we will do in this Senate.
“I urge you to remain hopeful, steadfast and united. Nigerians must remember that the nation is caught up in global challenges and upheavals which have far-reaching consequences; the impact of armed conflicts in Europe and Africa, as well as global political and economic realignments, are but a few of these events impacting Nigeria, other countries in Africa and even beyond.
“Our Senate will remain watchful of, and will be responsive to, these events.
“It is time now to go forward with the task set before us as a collective body – the promulgation of laws and enactments for the well-being and security of the country and as a check on the executive arm of the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, in our oversight functions.
“Together, we shall reach and surpass the expectations of the Nigerian people regarding us and our roles in building a better, safer, more inclusive, prosperous, efficient and ethical country…”.
Election of principal officers
For full legislative business in plenary , the Senate on Tuesday July 4, 2023, appointed its principal officers through majority and minority caucuses recommendations as against nominations from the National Executive Council (NEC) of political parties of the lawmakers.
On that day, the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, informed Senators that the caucus of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Senate, had forwarded to him names of Senators Michael Opeyemi Bamidele (Ekiti Central) as Leader of the Senate, Dave Umahi (Ebonyi South), as Deputy Leader, Ali Ndume (Borno South) as Chief Whip and Oyelola Ashiru (Kwara South) as Deputy Whip.
From the minority caucus on the same day, Akpabio announced that names of Senator Simon Mwadkwon (PDP Plateau North), has been forwarded as the minority leader, Senator Oyewumi Olalere (PDP Osun West) as the deputy minority leader, Darlington Nwakocha (LP Anambra Central) as Minority Whip and Rufai Hanga (NNPP Kano Central) as Deputy Minority Whip.
Ministerial screening and confirmation
Screening of Ministerial Nominees forwarded to it for confirmation by President Bola Tinubu in July and August last year was also one of the major events that shaped the 10th Senate in its first year.
Though in carrying out the screening exercise which was done even on weekend- Saturday and Sunday during the period- 45 out of 48 ministerial nominees forwarded to it, got their appointments confirmed and now serving as Honourable Ministers, while three others were rejected.
Those whose nominations as Ministers by President Tinubu were rejected by the 10th Senate, were Mallam Nasir El – Rufai from Kaduna state, Stella Okotete from Delta state and Abubakar Danladi from Taraba state.
Expectedly, the rejected ministerial nominees were later replaced by President Tinubu whose screening and confirmations were carried out by the Senate in October last year along with two additional Ministers appointed for the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development.
Aside screening and confirmation of appointments of Ministerial nominees, the 10th Senate like others before it, had also within the last one year, carried out screening and confirmation of appointments of several other presidential nominees forwarded to it for different executive positions at different times; some of which were those of the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Zacch Adedeji, the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Olayemi Cardoso and Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC ), Mr Ola Olukoyede.
Composition of standing committees and rejigging of principal officers positions
Composition of standing committees by the 10th Senate and rejigging of principal officers’s positions largely done in October and November last year were also part of major events that shaped the 10th Senate in its first year.
Though announcement of Chairmanship.and Vice Chairmanship of the Standing Committees, increased from 63 to 74, was made on August 7, 2023, by the President of the Senate before adjournment for the annual long recess but recomposed in November 2023 after the end of electoral litigations against some serving Senators by some of their opponents in the February 2023 general elections.
The end of electoral litigations at both Election Petitions Tribunal and the Court of Appeal against some serving Senators, also resulted into slight changes of Principalship positions in the 10th Senate.
While Senator Dave Umahi (APC Ebonyi South), was replaced as Deputy Leader by Senator Lola Ashiru (APC Kwara South) for accepting ministerial position, Senator Onyeakachi Nwaebonyi (APC Ebonyi North), was appointed as new Deputy Majority Whip.
As a result of losing out in the electoral litigations, Senator Simon Mwadkwon (PDP Plateau North), was replaced as Minority Leader with Senator Abba Moro (PDP Benue South ) while Senator Darlington Nwakocha (LP Abia Central ) was replaced with Senator Osita Ngwu (PDP Enugu West).
2024 Appropriation Bill
Expeditious consideration and approval of 2024 Appropriation bill presented to the joint session of the National Assembly by President Bola Tinubu on 29th of November 2023 and passed by both the Senate and the House of Representatives on Saturday, December 30, 2023, was another event that shaped the Senate.
President Tinubu had in the appropriation proposal, proposed N25trillion as total budget size for 2024 but after scrutiny of the proposals and projections, the Senate along with the House of Representatives, jerked it up to N28.7trilliion which later resulted into allegation of padding the budget through projects insertions.
Budget padding allegation and Suspension of Senator Ningi
From January to March this year, allegation of padding of the 2024 budget by the Senate and by extension, the National Assembly, was in the front burner of public discourse which climaxed with the interview Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP Bauchi Central), had with BBC Hausa Service on March 5 where he alleged that projects for the additional N3.7trillion added to N25trillion President Bola Tinubu submitted to the National Assembly in November 2023 for approval , could not be traced.
Ningi’s was taken up by the Senate on March 12, 2024 on budget padding allegation made, and suspended for three months for lack of evidence to back up his claim.
He was however after spending 75 out of the 90 days suspension slammed on him , recalled back to the Senate on the strength of plead made on his behalf by the minority caucus.
Replacement of National Anthem with supersonic speed
In the first year of the 10th Senate and infact, the 10th National Assembly, legislation that stood it out on the template of rubber stamping, is the old now turned to new National Anthem.
Though President Tinubu did not formally forward request to both chambers through an Executive bill, for that purpose, but discerning minds knew that the speed of the light with which the legislation was carried out by both the Senate and the House of Representatives, was propelled by presidential interest.
First indication to that effect, emerged on Thursday, May 23, 2024 when a bill for re – introduction of old National Anthem as the new National Anthem for the country was introduced at both Chambers by their Leaders and even read for second and third time in the House of Representatives the same day, while Senate after passing it for second reading on that day went into two hours closed door session, before mandating its Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, to organise a public hearing for it and report back as soon as possible.
The committee hurriedly carried out the public hearing on Monday , May 27, 2024 , submitted its report on Tuesday the following day , paving the way for the Senate to pass it for third reading after which it adjourned for one hour and recovered again , for adoption of votes and proceedings of that day , upon which the legislation was jointly forwarded to President Tinubu for assent .
Apparently being an expected legislation, President Tinubu swiftly assented to it that very day, Tuesday, May 28, 2024 and in sealing it up as new National Anthem for Nigeria, attended the joint sitting of the Senate and the House of Representatives the following day, (Wednesday, May 29, 2024) where he joined the federal lawmakers to sing it 46 years after jettisoning it by the Olusegun Obasanjo led military regime.
Generally for the 10th Senate under the leadership of Senator Godswill Akpabio, it is more of a Senate, too much on the same page with the executive headed by President Bola Tinubu with attendant stigma of ‘rubber stamp’ placed on it by Nigerians like the 9th Senate under the Presidency of Senator Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan.
However, within the next three more years it has, it may review its collaboration with the Presidency to be one of constructive engagement for good governance and not that of express approval of requests forwarded to it.
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