With former governors finding solace in the Senate, Nigeria’s Upper legislative chamber, EZREL TABIOWO links their passion to man’s natural knack for self -protection and esteem.
The Senate is made up of 109 senators. In the Eighth Senate inaugurated on June 9, there are at least 17 ex-governors. These include Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Theodore Orji (Abia), Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom), Jonah Jang (Plateau State) and Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto State).
Others are Sam Egwu (Ebonyi), Adamu Aliero (Kebbi), Isiaka Adeleke (Osun), Joshua Dariye (Plateau), Kabiru Gaya (Kano), Abba Bukar Ibrahim (Yobe), Danjuma Goje (Gombe), Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa), Ahmed Sani (Zamfara), Bukola Saraki (Kwara), George Akume (Benue) and Shaaba Lafiagi (Kwara). In addition, Lt.-Gen. Jeremiah Useni (rtd) who once served as Governor of the defunct Bendel State during the Babangida era is part of the current Senate.
By 2007, more former governors won elections to serve in the upper chamber of the National Assembly. These ex-governors having completed their terms in their respective states, saw the need to move to higher grounds on the political arena. Over time, it has become the rule that ex- governors would aspire to go to the Senate.
Since the rebirth of democracy in Nigeria 16 years ago, the National Assembly has played host to many politicians who had held important positions in government in the past. A number of them were former state governors who held office either during the military era or the brief periods of democratic rule in the country.
Chief Evans Enwerem, the first President of the Senate in 1999, was once the governor of Imo State during the botched Third Republic while Brigadier General David Mark (rtd) was a Military Administrator of Niger State during General Ibrahim Babangida’s regime.
The common motivation was that most of them want to remain relevant in the political system. Some were still young and felt that they would be too early retiring from politics. A number of them were afraid of their past and the consequences it might bring in the future.
They knew that with the establishment of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), they were the potential targets of investigation and prosecution for corruption.
They also believe that they must have stepped on some toes while serving as governors in their respective states and would feel more comfortable going to a system where they could enjoy some form of official protection from harassment from political detractors.
Many had become used to the paraphernalia of officialdom, particularly the convoy of cars, security details and the siren.
They crave for a continuity of all these side attractions of executive powers and some form of insulation from the harsh open society. In fact, these men are in search of political immunity and other privileges they used to enjoy while they were chief executives of their states.
Of all the ex-governors who have had the privilege of being in the Senate, Senator Mark has made the greatest impact on the parliament and polity. Mark has remained the longest serving parliamentarian in the upper chamber of the National Assembly.
He was not only elected into the Senate in 1999 but has been re-elected a record four times.
Above all, he has the enviable record of being the President of the Senate for an unbroken two terms of eight years. As an Emeritus Senate President, Mark has remained a humble member of the Senate, making useful contributions to guide the new leadership of the Red Chamber.
Following closely behind Mark is the current President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki.He was first elected into the Senate in 2011 and re-elected in 2015 before his colleagues elected him as the first among equals. Except for his current travails with the Code of Conduct Tribunal over alleged false declaration of his assets, Saraki looks set to having a brilliant career in the parliament.
Not many gave Senator Godswill Akpabio any chance when he stepped out to contest the position of Senate Minority Leader in the current dispensation.
As a greenhorn in parliament, he was dismissed as an over-ambitious freshman, who will not go far in the race. The ranking rule in the Senate was invoked against him but Akpabio remained undaunted on his aspiration.
Today, he has proven his mettle and has become the arrowhead of the opposition in the upper chamber of the National Assembly. Beyond grabbing of positions in the principal officers cadre, it will be rather too early to assess the impact the present crop of ex-governors would make in the Eighth Senate between now and 2019.
However, given the experiences of the past few years, it is expected that the presence of more ex-governors in the Senate would certainly have an impact on legislation. There is a school of thought that the presence of these men of experience from the executive arm of government has made impact on the character of the parliament.
The rather slo w pace at which the Senate runs its activities, the moderate tone of its debates and the apparent absence of radicalism and dynamism in its legislative processes have been attributed to the presence of these former governors in the parliament.
The logical explanation has been that these ex-governors have been on the other side of political divide, where they were at the mercy of the legislature and would most likely not support legislations that could be harsh on the executive. They are mostly influenced by their comfortable past and are unlikely to support actions that could rock the boat.
At best, the Senate has another crop of fresh and returning ex-governors who have so much at stake across the federation that they would remain moderates, balancing and stabilising the polity.
