The 8th senate under the leadership of Bukola Saraki on Friday commemorated its second legislative year anniversary. For Saraki, it has been “two years of productive lawmaking period”. But for the public, it’s been two years of not just legislating but drama as well.
Here’s a recap of some of the latter:
SARAKI: SENATE PRESIDENT BY HOOK OR BY CROOK
Nothing took Nigerians unaware after the success of the 2015 general election like the surprise emergence of Bukola Saraki as Senate President. His party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), and the presidency were caught off the guard by the scheming and intrigues that produced him rather than Ahmed Lawan, the party’s choice.
The APC had chosen Lawan and Femi Gbajabiamila as candidates for the Senate Presidency and Speaker slots respectively but in a stunning development, Saraki was elected president after garnering the block support of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) members and some APC senators who broke ranks with their party.
In a similar vein, PDP members of the House of Representatives threw their block votes behind Yakubu Dogararather than the endorsed Gbajabiamila. Thus, the eighth Senate was inaugurated on the throes of crisis.For the first two months of its inauguration, the Senate sat for just 14 days and went on recess three times.
ASSET DECLARATION SCANDAL
The senate president again was in the eye of the storm over alleged failure to declare his assets in full. He became the first public official to be charged to the Code of Conduct Tribunal over false asset declaration.
Unlike the forgery case that has been dropped and closed, Saraki is still facing the 13-count charge that ranges from misuse of the state funds for purchasing private assets while serving as Kwara state governor to anticipatory declaration of assets and making false declaration of assets. He is also said to have been operating foreign accounts during his governorship and senatorial terms.
50 SENATOR-SPECTATORS AT CCT
When his trial began in September 2015, Saraki made a habit of going to the CCT with a retinue senators. Once, 81 of the total 109 senators in the upper chamber, led by Ike Ekweremadu,Deputy Senate President, accompanied him to the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) to show solidarity. It was so hardin such a moment not to think the senate was jobless!
FRIVOLOUS SOCIAL MEDIA BILL
On December 1 2016, the senate drew the ire of the public when it proposed a bill for an act to prohibit frivolous petitions and other matters connected. And if the bill had scaled through, it might not be business as usual for those who often make abusive statements on social media against government and public office holders. As stated in the bill, anybody or group of persons who sends any false text message or posts false message on the social media against another person shall be jailed for two years upon conviction by the law court.
The bill is applicable to whoever makes allegation or publishes any statement or petition in the newspaper, radio or medium of whatever description against another person, institutions of government or any public office holder. The bill, sponsored by Ibn Na’Allah, (APC, Kebbi South), scaled through second reading in the Senate before it was stepped down after widespread public outcry.
MELAYE TO RAPE AND IMPREGNATE REMI TINUBU
Nigerians were treated to another orgy of shame on the floor of the senate when flamboyant and controversial ally of Saraki, Dino Melaye, allegedly threatened to beat, rape and impregnate Remi Tinubu, a senator from Lagos and wife of former governor of Lagos state and leader of APC, Bola Tinubu.
Those who witnessed the incident, which occurred during a closed-door meeting held by senators, said trouble started when Melaye urged the senate to descend heavily on members who had offered to serve as prosecution witnesses in the forgery case against Saraki and Ekweremadu.
At some point, Melaye was alleged to have told Tinubu: “Look this is not Bourdillon, I will beat you up …. Impregnate you and nothing will happen.”
The Kogi senator eventually denied the threat in some dramatic manner, saying: ” It is malicious and a lie that I said I would impregnate Mrs Tinubu. Biologically, it is even impossible to impregnate Mrs Tinubu because she has arrived menopause.”
PARLOUR COUP AGAINST NDUME
One of the dramatic moments at the senate was the removal of Ali Ndume (APC, Borno) as the senate’s Majority Leader in a “palace coup-like manner”. His ouster paved the way for Ahmed Lawan to become new Senate Leader. That was January 10, 2017.
On the day, Ndume had left the floor to perform Zuhr (noon) prayers, when his removal was perfected.Thirty-one of the 63 APC senators signed him out. But he wouldn’t go without ruffling more feathers. Days after his removal, he raised a point of order demanding that the budget of the National Assembly be made public. The multi-billion naira budget has been shrouded in secrecy since 2010.
Ndume would later land himself a six-month suspension, for claiming that the senate was victimising Hameed Ali, Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service. over the seizure of a vehicle belonging to Saraki.
MELAYE’S CERTIFICATE SCANDAL
Did someone just say “Melaye again”? Well, it is not our fault.
The senate, according to Ndume, was a subject of ridicule, following the allegation that Melaye did not graduate from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he claimed to have obtained BSc in Geography.
The uproar that greeted the scandal got to a crescendo when Ibrahim Garba, Vice Chancellor of the university, testified before the probe panel set up by the senate to investigate the matter.
He confirmed that Melaye indeed was indeed a student at the university who also graduated in 2000 as Daniel Jonah Melaye. The comical aspect of it was when the controversial senator appeared at the red chamber the following day in full academic regalia.
THE REJECTION AND ‘RE-REJECTION’ OF MAGU
Since his appointment in November 2017, Ibrahim Magu has acted as Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The senate refused to confirm his appointment after two failed nominations by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The senate based its action on a report by the Department of Security Services (DSS) tainting the integrity of Magu, but many Nigerians believe the rejection was in bad faith.
ALI’S REFUSAL TO WEAR THE CUSTOMS UNIFORM
March 2017 was drama-filled on the floor of the senate. One of the occurrences was the confrontation between Custom’s Ali and the senate over the comptroller-general’s refusal to dress in the Customs uniform.
“I was not appointed Comptroller-General to wear uniform,” was his response to the order by the lawmakers that he should appear in “appropriate” uniform next week over the service’s planned action against owners of vehicles without duty payment.
He was summoned by the senate over the service’s plan to run after owners of vehicles without duty payment, but he maintained that the Senate should be more concerned about his performance than his uniform.
In the end, it was no victor no vanquished, as Ali bluntly refused to wear the uniform — but he was also forced to shelve the implementation of the vehicle policy.
BILLS UPON BILLS
Despite all these crises, the senate has passed 96 bills and 72 petitions in just 2 years, eclipsing the highest ever in the history of the National Assembly — a record held by the 5th senate, which passed 65 bills and six petitions within the same time period.