By Abba Dukawa.
The 10th National Assembly, comprising the Senate and the House of Representatives, is expected to be inaugurated tentatively on June 13, 2023. Those that want to bring religious sentiment won’t fly, forget that the Senate Presidency It’s about competence, not sentiment. The North-west accounted for the highest votes to win presidential elections, as demonstrated in the February 25 election that brought in President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
But since 1960, the Northwest as a geopolitical zone has never produced a Senate President. Most of the time Southeast geopolitical zone produced the senate president records show that the South-east produced Nnamdi Azikiwe as senate president in 1960 under the NCNC; Dennis Osadebey is a South-south who led the senate in 1960-1963 under NCNC; Sen. Nwafor Orizu is a South-east who served as Senate President from 1963-1966 under NCNC;
Joseph Wayas is a South-south who served as Senate President from 1979-1983 under NPN. Iyorchia Ayu is from North-central and he led the hallowed chamber from 1992-1993 under SDP; Ameh Ebute equally from North-central was Senate president from 1993 under SDP.
From 1999, Evans Enwerem, a South-easterner, became the Senate president under PDP. He was succeeded by Chuba Okadigbo from Southeast 1999-2000 same PDP; Anyim Pius Anyim from Southeast took over the Senate leadership from 2000–2003 under PDP. Adolphus Wabara, from the southeast, became Senate president from 2003–2005 under PDP. From 2005–2007 we had Ken Nnamani from the South-east, he handed over to David Mark, from North-central 2007–2015 under PDP, then Bukola Saraki 2015–2019 APC/PDP from North-central and now Ahmed Lawan of APC 2019 to present from North-east.
The need for the incoming APC government to consider Kano due to the threat of annihilation by the Kwankwaso-led NNPP which inflicted considerable damage on the APC in the last elections. Coincidentally, the North-west region boasts of an array of ranking legislators who are eminently qualified to occupy the seat. Top on the list is Senator Jibrin Barau from Kano state.
In the present circumstance, since the North-west has contributed immensely to Tinubu’s emergence, it is expected that the zone would be rewarded with the position. Deservedly so. In picking the Senate President, the final decision, however, rests with the 109 senators-elect across the country. They will have to take a final decision on the floor of the Red Chamber on who should be the head of the 10th National Assembly. In doing so, the senators will be guided by the Senate Standing Orders.
Indeed, by virtue of Order 3, Rule 2 of the Senate Standing Orders 2022 as amended on the nomination of presiding officers and appointments of Principal Officers and other Officers of the Senate, it shall be in accordance with the ranking of senators. In determining ranking, the following Order shall apply: (i) Senators returning based on number of times re-elected; (ii) Senators who had been members of the House of Representatives, (iii) Senators elected as Senators for the first time.
It is no longer news the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Barau Jibrin, has declared his ambition to contest the position of Senate President in the 10th National Assembly. As a leading candidate for the Senate presidency, he is the most experienced. In a speech while announcing his interest of the Senate President he said he is the most ranking and experienced among those contesting the position with him, adding that legislature is a distinct arm of government that doesn’t work based on sentiments, it works on your ability to get the job done. It is a tradition all over the world and it is also stated there in our rule book and the rules are drafted from our constitutions.
In the interest of fairness, equity, and justice, it is therefore, the turn of the North-west to produce the next Senate president, and Sen. Jibrin Barau from Kano state deserves to be the next Senate President because he has for long been committed to the betterment of the country and has always put the interests of the people first. He is a man with transparency, integrity, and honesty in his dealings with others. He is diplomatic and can handle the multifaceted future challenges in the Senate. Senator Barau, as Senate president, will work with other senators to achieve common goals for the development of the country. He has strong leadership qualities, including the ability to inspire, motivate, and guide others toward a common goal.
His candidacy for the Tenth Assembly Senate Presidency is not about himself but rather the sanitizing of the nation’s democracy. It is about practicing what he always preaches, global best practices of legislation. If the postulation is anything to go by, Senator Barau Jibrin (Maliya) is the one who can be entrusted with the challenging responsibility of becoming the Senate President, of the National Assembly considering the nation’s democratic system is in dire need of reform that will have a far-reaching positive impact on the lives of Nigerians.
It is pertinent to note that the APC was able to achieve such success with the good efforts of experienced politicians like Senator Barau Jibrin, who was able to lead the party to success during presidential and national assembly elections. It was a really difficult feat for Senator Barau to be able to win re-election in Kano State, where almost all the candidates of the APC lost their elections or re-elections to the opposition in the state. This was possible for Senator Barau because he has become endeared to his people owing to a patriotic philanthropist who gave generously to society and was always on the front line leading efforts to solve the problems of people both within his political domain and beyond despite the Kwankwasiyya Tsunami during presidential and national assembly elections, most members from Kano state lost their seats in the House of Representatives with 2 senators one from Central and South senatorial districts getting NNPP. It is pertinent to note that the APC in the kano north senatorial district was able to achieve success with the good efforts of Senator Barau Jibrin, who were able to lead the party to success during the Presidential and National Assembly Elections.
Barau’s political carrier started with his passion to serve the people motivated him to contest the election in 1999 for the seat of the House of Representatives to represent the Tarauni Federal Constituency of Kano State. After his tour of duty in the House of Representatives from 1999 to 2003. Where he lost reelection for the second term due to his stand on the tenure elongation of then-president Obasanjo’s ambition. During his first term in the House of Representatives, a core record from 1999 to 2003 Maliya as he was called has demonstrated his true passion for issues concerning his constituent and Nigeria as a whole; he worked passionately to address matters of great concern to him and quickly earned a reputation as a true and brilliant legislator among his peer from Kano state.
On his return to the electoral contest in 2015, Senator Barau contested and won the election to the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, representing the Kano North Senatorial District under the platform of the All Progressives Congress. Senator Barau Jibrin proved himself as a true believer in qualitative representation, he took an active part in debates on the floor of the House and was fast recognized as one of the most brilliant minds in the House of Representatives.
This was possible for Senator Barau because he has become endeared to his people owing to patriotic philanthropists who gave generously to society and were always on the front line leading efforts to solve the problems of people both within his political domain and beyond. Since he was first elected into the Nigeria Senate in 2015, Senator Barau has initiated and executed almost uncountable interventions and projects in both his constituency and other parts of Kano State, which have directly impacted the lives of the common people positively.
Some of the projects and programs he has successfully implemented include the construction of the multi-billion naira Kabuga- Dayi Road, the establishment of Kabo Federal Polytechnic, the construction of access roads in all the 13 local governments of Kano North, the construction of five (5) General Hospitals in Kano North, securing employment for a total of 1,459 youths in both state and federal levels as well as empowering thousands of women and youths in different trades and The Senator Representing Kano North Senatorial District, Senator Barau Jubrin, on Friday in Kano, donated 18 patrol motor vehicles to Kano state police Command. He also promised additional two patrol motor vehicles and the installation of Solar Power at the police Zonal headquarters located in his Senatorial District.
The legislature is a distinct arm of government that doesn’t work based on sentiments or religious affiliations but works on person ability to get the job done. If religious play role in selecting leaders in both two chambers of the national assembly there is no way were David Mark, Ike Ekweremadu,and Patricia Etteh, the Speaker both are Christian both were elected because there are the most ranking, experienced and that is the tradition, so do we relegate competence to other sentiments.
In the upcoming tenth National Assembly, Barau Jibrin is the longest-serving senator from the kano state. With his invaluable experience he gathered certainly makes him a good consideration for the seat of the Senate presidency. In terms of representation, Senator Barau has been an excellent ambassador of Kano state as well as a champion of many bills or motion that seeks to improve the lives of Nigerians from wherever they come
Based on the foregoing, Seven political parties won senatorial seats, with APC securing a majority with 57 seats. The People’s Democratic Party won 29 seats; Labour Party six; New Nigerian People’s Party, two; Social Democratic Party, two; the All Progressives Grand Alliance and Young People’s Party, one each.
There is a need for National leadership of the ruling governing party, and senators to bank on him because The legislature is a distinct arm of government that doesn’t work based on sentiments but works on ability to get the job done. The incoming tenth senate needs for returns Senators and Senators-elect to close ranks and place national interest above personal and political inclinations and support Senator Barau Jibrin emerges as the President of the 10th Senate. Considering his his vest experience gained from lower and upper chambers of the national assembly made him best for the senate presidency.
Dukawa writes from Kano
