Deji Adeyanju, a popular Nigerian activist has disclosed that Bola Tinubu, National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, stands a better chance to clinch the party’s presidential ticket, ahead of 2023.

Adeyanju explained that Tinubu has the backing of most APC governors and Senators.

In a tweet, he noted that Tinubu’s wide support within the party structure was responsible for the delay of APC’s national Congress.

The convener of Concerned Nigerians also claimed that both the APC and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, plans to field a Northern presidential candidate in 2023.

According to Adeyanju: “Both APC and PDP are going to present Northern candidates in 2023. But if primaries takes place in APC today, Tinubu will win because he has more support of their Govs, Senators structures, etc. This is one of the reasons they are delaying APC congress. Politics is deep.”

This is coming at a time the Primate Elijah Ayodele of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, had warned Tinubuagainst vying for the presidency.

Primate Ayodele had said Tinubu’s handling of Nigeria would be a disaster and disgrace to his family and Nigerians.

The clergyman had urged the former Lagos State governor to retire from politics and focus on his health

Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, Adamu Bulkachuwa (APC,

Bauchi) and former governor of Kano State, Ibrahim

Shekarau (APC, Kano) are among the 10 senators who have

not sponsored a single bill in the last one year.

The National Assembly, under Section 4 subsection (2) of

the 1999 Constitution as amended, is vested with “powers

to make laws for the peace, order and good governance of

the Federation or any part thereof with respect to any matter

included in the Exclusive Legislative List”.

The primary functions of a legislator include making laws

on issues of public interest; representing the interest of

citizens; and oversight of government Ministries,

Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

The 9th Senate was inaugurated on 11 June, 2019. Since

then, over 450 bills have been introduced, according to

official records analysed by Daily Trust between October

2019, when bills sponsorship started and July 23, 2020

when the Red Chamber embarked on a two-month annual

recess.

Other senators with no single bill to their names are:

Christopher Stephen Ekpenyong (PDP, Akwa Ibom), Godiya

Akwashiki (APC, Nasarawa), Emmanuel Yisa Orker-jev

(PDP, Benue), Kabir Abdullahi Barkiya (APC, Katsina),

Nicholas Olubukola Tofowomo (PDP, Ondo), Peter Onyeluka

Nwaoboshi (PDP, Delta) and Lawali Hassan Anka (PDP,

Zamfara).

The duo of Ignatius Datong Longjan (APC, Plateau) and

Sikiru Adebayo Osinowo (APC, Lagos) also had no bills to

their credit until their death in February and June 2020

respectively.

While the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, did not respond

to Daily Trust request for comment on the development,

Senator Ibrahim Shekarau said he was currently working on

a bill to amend the Pension Act.

Senator Adamu Muhammad Bulkachuwa (APC, Bauchi

North) on his part said though he did not have any bill to his

name alone, he co-sponsored some.

As campaigners for bills sponsorship by senators insisted

that it was shameful for a lawmaker to spend one year in

the chamber without any bill to his name, others are of the

view that legislators should not be pressured into doing so.

They said it was the duty of the Executive to sponsor bills.

Unlike Lawan, the Speaker of the House of Representatives,

Femi Gbajabiamila, has 16 bills to his credit in the period

under review. And just like Lawan, Gbajabiamila is a

presiding officer.

In terms of bills sponsorship, Senate Leader, Yahaya

Abdullahi (APC, Kebbi) topped the chart with over 30 bills to

his name. This is because the House of Representatives bills

sent to the Senate for concurrence and the Executive bills

stand in his name.

The Senate Leader is closely followed by Stella Oduah

(PDP, Anambra), a two-time Senator, with 29 bills. Coming

third on top of the chart is the Deputy Senate President,

Ovie Omo-Agege (APC, Delta) who had 22 bills. Most of

Omo-Agege’s bills are those seeking to alter the provisions

of the constitution. He chairs the Senate Committee on

Constitution Review.

Next is Ekwunife Lilian Uche (PDP, Anambra) with 17 bills to

her name, followed by Mohammed Sani Musa (APC, Niger),

who sponsored 14 bills while Ifeanyi Patrick Ubah (YPP,

Anambra) has 13 bills and Ali Ndume (APC Borno) 12 bills.

Istifanus Dung Gyang (PDP, Plateau) and Gershom Henry

Bassey, (PDP, Cross River) sponsored 11 bills each,

Olamilekan Adeola (APC, Lagos) 10, while Buhari Abdulfatai

(APC, Oyo), Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti) and former

deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu (PDP, Enugu)

have 9 bills each.

Ibrahim Barau Jibrin (APC, Kano), Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi (APC,

Niger) and Betty Apiafi (PDP, Rives) sponsored 8 bills each.

They are followed by Uba Sani (APC, Kaduna), Ibikunle

Amosun (APC, Ogun) and Ibrahim Yahaya Oloriegbe (APC,

Kwara) with seven bills each.

Senators who sponsored six bills each are: Kashim Shettima

(APC, Borno), Bassey Albert Akpan (PDP, Akwa Ibom), and

Abba Patrick Moro (PDP, Benue).

Those with five bills each are: Senators Muhammad Enagi

Bima (APC, Niger), Abdullahi Adamu (APC, Nasarawa),

Sadiq Suleiman Umar (APC, Kwara), Theodore Ahamefule

Orji (PDP, Abia), Tolulope Akinremi Odebiyi (APC, Ogun) and

Joseph Obinna Ogba (PDP, Ebonyi).

Senators Matthew Urhoghide (PDP, Edo), Ayo Patrick

Akinyelure (PDP, Ondo), Aduda Philip Tanimu (PDP, FCT)

and Samuel Ominyi Egwu (PDP, Ebonyi) sponsored four bills

each.

Others in this category are: Biodun Olujimi (PDP, Ekiti),

Ezenwa Francis Onyewuchi (PDP, Imo), Aliyu Magatakarda

Wamakko (APC, Sokoto), Teslim Kolawale Folarin (APC,

Oyo) and Barinada Barry Mpigi (PDP, Rivers).

Lawmakers in the Red Chamber who have sponsored three

bills each are: Abdullahi Gobir (APC, Sokoto), Robert Ajayi

Boroffice (APC, Ondo), Ademola Kola Balogun (PDP, Oyo),

Ahmad Babba-kaita (APC, Katsina), Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed

(APC, Adamawa), Francis Fadahunsi (PDP, Osun), Hassan

Mohammed Gusau (PDP, Zamfara), Rochas Okorocha (APC,

Imo) and Hezekiah Ayuba Dimka (APC, Plateau).

Others with three bills are: Michael Ama Nnachi (PDP,

Ebonyi), Olubunmi Ayodeji Adetunmbi (APC, Ekiti), Ramoni

Olalekan Mustapha (APC, Ogun), Late Rose Okoji Oko (PDP,

Cross River), Suswam Torwua Gabriel (PDP, Benue), Yusuf

Abubakar Yusuf (APC, Taraba), Alhaji Ya’u Sahabi (PDP,

Zamfara) Francis Alimikhena (APC, Edo), Adelere Adeyemi

Oriolowo (APC, Osun) and Surajudeen Ajibola Basiru (APC,

Osun).

Senators Amos Bulus Kilawangs (APC, Gombe), Clifford

Ordia (PDP, Edo), Ibrahim Hadejia (APC, Jigawa), Abubakar

Kyari (APC, Borno), Late Benjamin Uwajumogu (APC, Imo),

Chukwuka Utazi (PDP, Enugu), Danjuma Goje (APC,

Gombe), Degi-eremienyo Wangagra (APC, Bayelsa),

Emmanuel Bwacha (PDP, Taraba), Enyinnaya Abaribe (PDP,

Abia) and Ibrahim Gaidam (APC, Yobe) sponsored two bills

each.

Others in this category are: Jibrin Isah (APC, Kogi), Kabiru

Ibrahim Gaya (APC, Kano), Adamu Aliero (APC, Yobe),

Oluremi Tinubu (APC, Lagos), Suleiman Abdu Kwari (APC,

Kaduna), Binos Dauda Yaroe (PDP, Adamawa), Halliru

Dauda Jika (APC, Bauchi), Sabo Mohammed (APC, Jigawa),

Smart Adeyemi (APC, Kogi) and Ibrahim Abdullahi Danbaba

(PDP, Sokoto).

Those with single bill each are: Ishaku Elisha cliff Abbo

(PDP, Adamawa), Akon Etim Eyakenyi (PDP, Akwa Ibom),

Ashiru Oyelola Yisa (APC, Kwara), Bala Ibn Na’allah (APC,

Kebbi), Bello Mandiya (APC, Katsina), Chimaroke Nnamani

(PDP, Enugu), Danjuma Tella La’ah (PDP, Kaduna), Danladi

Abdullahi Sankara (APC, Jigawa), and George Thompson

Sekibo (PDP, Rivers).

Others are: Ibrahim Mohammed Bomai (APC, Yobe), Lawal

Yahaya Gumau (APC, Bauchi), Orji Uzor Kalu (APC, Abia),

Oseni Yakubu (APC Kogi), Sandy Ojang Onor (PDP, Cross

River), Shuaibu Isa Lau (PDP, Taraba), James Ebiowou

Manager (PDP, Delta), Saidu Ahmed Alkali (APC, Gombe)

and Umaru Tanko Almakura (APC, Nasarawa).

Controversial bills

In the last one year, some of the private member bills

sponsored by federal lawmakers had stirred controversies in

the polity as regards their desirability or otherwise.

Some of these controversial pieces of legislation are: the

anti-social media bill, hate speech bill, a bill seeking to

establish an agency for repentant Boko Haram insurgents, a

bill for an Act to prohibit/ban the use of generators and

infectious disease bill.

‘It’s shameful’

Mr. Hamzat Lawal, the Chief Executive, Connected

Development, CODE/Follow The Money, who spoke through

the Communications Lead of the organisation, Kevwe

Oghide, told Daily Trust that the reason lawmakers were

elected by their constituents was to represent and advance

progressive initiatives that address community challenges

or propose bills that will improve the wellbeing of the

citizenry.

According to him, if they are incapable of doing this, then it

is important that the National Assembly leadership takes

adequate action to ‘‘save Nigerians of the needless waste’’.

He said it was shameful for lawmakers to receive huge

allowances without adding any value to the nation.

“Follow The Money demands that these lawmakers be

assessed! It is shameful for them to receive an alleged sum

of N13m taxpayers’ money without adding any value.

Citizens must begin to recall such lawmakers as part of their

constitutional role,” he said.

‘Don’t criticize any lawmaker for not sponsoring a bill’

The Executive Director of Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre

(PLAC), Mr Clement Nwankwo, said a lawmaker should not

be criticised for not sponsoring bills.

Nwankwo told our correspondent in a telephone interview

that the primary responsibility of proposing legislation lies

with the executive arm of government since it needs them

to guide the execution of its policies.

He said it was not right for Nigerians to pressure the

lawmakers to propose bills.

According to him, the most important responsibility of the

lawmakers, with regard to bills, is for them to scrutinise bills

sent to them by the executive.

He said, “My view is that lawmakers should not be

pressured into proposing bills when the Executive is the arm

of government that is implementing policies, which are

backed by legislation.

“That is why we have executive and private member bills.

The private member bill should not truncate the need for

executive bills.

“The public should reduce the pressure on lawmakers to

propose bills when most of those bills are in vacuum; sitting

on nothing.

“Lawmaking, oversight and representation are three

responsibilities of a legislator. Lawmaking does not mean

that the legislators have to propose laws. The Executive has

the primary responsibility to propose laws because it needs

the laws to guide the execution of its policies’’.

Lawan keeps silent as ex-Kano gov, other give reasons

Media aide to the Senate President, Ola Awoniyi, did not

respond to calls, text and Whats App messages sent to him

to react to the development.

Contacted, Senator Adamu Muhammad Bulkachuwa (APC,

Bauchi North) admitted that he didn’t sponsor any bill but

that he had co-sponsored some.

He said it was a waste of time to sponsor bills that will not

get the president’s assent.

“Sponsoring of bills? I did not sponsor any special bill, but

why should people sponsor bills that will not get president’s

assent? Why should we waste time debating bills that the

president will not sign? I want you to know that I co-

sponsored some bills that are very useful,” he said.

For his part, Senator Shekarau said he was working on a bill

to amend the Pension Act.

Shekarau, who spoke through his aide, Sule Yau Sule, said

the draft of the bill would soon be ready for introduction in

the Senate.