JUST like the presidential election, the National Assembly poll also promises to be a battle of the titans today. While many of the legislators are seeking to return, some of the candidates are sitting governors, who are also running today.
Senator Oluremi Tinubu will be seeking second term in the Senate in today’s election. She currently represents Lagos Central Senatorial District on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and would have Dr. Ade Dosunmu, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as her major opponent. Political analysts have described Dr Dosunmu as no match for Senator Tinubu.
She is one of the candidates tipped to win the election following her robust contributions on the floor of the Senate and her enduring impact on her constituents. An educationist, administrator, philanthropist and Officer of the Order of the Niger, she was the exemplary First Lady of Lagos State between 1999 and 2007, during which period she founded the New Era Foundation, a non-profit organisation dedicated to youth development, girl-child education, women empowerment and inspiring young persons to excellence.
Over the years, she has made tremendous impact on the lives of several people and institutions within and outside Nigeria.
As Senator, she hosts a quarterly Town Hall Meeting with her constituents to render accounts of her stewardship and obtain feed-backs on their developmental needs.
Senator Gbenga Ashafa of the APC will also be seeking a second term in the Senate in today’s election. He was first elected into the Senate in 2011 under the defunct ACN. He represents Lagos East in the current 7th National Assembly. He is the Vice-Chairman, Senate Committee on Lands, Housing and Urban Development. He is also a member of Senate committees on Environment and Ecology Committee, Committee on Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Relations, Gas Committee, and Senate Services Committee.
The contest appears to be an easy ride for him judging by the fact that his main opponent in the PDP, Mrs. Olabisi Owolabi Salis-Fakos, is relatively young and unknown in the political terrain. If analysis by political watchers is anything to go by, Ashafa may have an easy ride to the next legislative session.
Abubakar Bukola Saraki: The former governor of Kwara State is one of the candidates that may have an easy ride to victory in today’s election. He is seeking a second term in the Senate to represent Kwara Central Senatorial District.
He was elected governor on May 2003 and served for two terms in office. In the April 2011 elections, he was elected Senator for Kwara Central, succeeding his sister, Gbemisola Saraki-Forowa. He was a member of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) but defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He prides himself as one of the few senators in the 7th assembly who post their weekly activities, so Kwarans and Nigerians at large can see, follow and contribute to what he is doing both in the legislative and constituency.
He surely stands shoulder above any of his political opponents going by his political clout and antecedent.
David Mark: The Senate President is one of the senators that will be seeking reelection to the Senate. He has contested and won election to represent Benue South on four occasions. He will be seeking his fifth term in the Senate in today’s election. The former Minister of Communication will have the All Progressives Congress candidate Dan Onjeh to battle with to determine who represents the area in the 8th legislative session. Mark was elected to his position as the Senate President on June 6, 2007 and ran for re-election to the Senate for Benue South in April 2011 and was elected for a fourth term. Prior to his senatorial career, Mark was a military governor of Niger State. He retired as a Brigadier-General.
George Akume: The former governor of Benue State is looking forward to his third tenure in the Senate after today’s election. He is contesting on the platform of the APC and has Hon. Mike Nku of the PDP as one of his top contenders. His journey to the Senate began in 2007 when he won election to represent the people of Benue North West in the legislative arm of government. And was reelected Senator in the April 2011 elections.
He is currently the Minority Leader of the Senate. With his wealth of political experience as the governor of the state from 1999 to 2007 and his quality participation in his two terms in the Senate, he is likely to coast to victory at the end of the day.
Senator Barnabas Gemade: The former national chairman of the PDP is a member of the current Senate. He will be contesting on the platform of the APC to represent Benue North East, for a third term in the upper legislative arm. He has the incumbent governor, Gabriel Suswan, to contend with. The battle will no doubt rank among the toughest for a seat in the next Senate.
But such challenge may not be new to the leading chief from the Tiv ethnic minority who holds the title of the Nom-I-Yange-I-Tiv . In the first National Convention of the PDP after the April 1999 General Elections, Gemade was elected National Chairman after a tough competition with one of the party’s founding fathers, the late Chief Sunday Awoniyi. He succeeded Solomon Lar, the first Chairman of the party, and was elected in part due to zoning rules which favoured giving the post to a northerner.
It appears Gemade has what it takes to shrug off the challenge of Governor Suswam, who has left no one in doubt of his preparedness to snatch the seat from him at the end of the day.
Shaaba Lafiagi: Like Bukola Sarski, Lafiagi will also be taking a second shot at the Senate in today’s election. He currently represents Kwara-North Senatorial District and will be squaring it up with Hon. Yinusa Yahaya, the PDP candidate, and others to clinch the seat. Yahaya is a former Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Works as well as a two-term lawmaker for Edu/Patigi/Moro federal constituency between 1999 and 2007.
The APC candidate is not a new comer in the business of politics. He was elected the governor of the state on the platform of the then Social Democratic Party in 1991. After some years of absence from public office, he was elected senator representing Kwara-North in 2011. He was returned unopposed as the senatorial candidate of the district to take part in today’s election.
Professor Olusola Adeyeye: He is a biologist who was elected Senator for the Osun Central constituency of Osun State in the April 2011 elections. Back then, he ran on the platform of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). Today, he is seeking reelection to the Senate on the platform of the APC.
He is currently the Vice-Chairman of Senate Committee on Cooperation and Integration in Africa and NAPED and also Education (Science and Technology).
Before he was elected to represent his constituency in the Senate, Prof Adeyeye was a member, House of Representatives between 2003/2007. The outspoken lawmaker definitely has an intimidating political record that qualifies him to emerge victorious in today’s election. Chief Oluwole Aina is the PDP candidate for the senatorial district. Both of them will be joined by other candidates to slug it out for the senatorial seat.
Mohammed Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso: He was governor of Kano State from 1999 to 2003. He was re-elected for a second term as governor on 26 April 2011. He was among the five PDP governors that defected to the new opposition party APC after they were dissatisfied with developments in the ruling party. He contested the APC presidential primary alongside General Muhammadu Buhari. He is contesting for the Kano Central Senatorial District in the election. He would contend with the incumbent senator, Basheer Garba Mohammed Lado, in what pundits have termed the battle of the titans. With his experience in different political capacities, analysts opine that Kwankwaso has all it takes to defeat the incumbent senator.
Aliyu Wamakko: He ran successfully for governor of Sokoto State in April 2007 on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) platform, and assumed office on 29 May 2007 and still in charge of the state till date. He is one of the candidates jostling for Sokoto West senatorial seat in today’s election. He has been tipped to win the contest by political commentators who have cited his political sagacity as rare strength that would give him victory in any electoral contest.
Dr. Chris Nwabueze Ngige, who is also seeking to return to the Senate in today’s election, was elected Senator for Anambra Central Constituency in April 2011. He ran for the election on the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) platform. He contested with the late former Minister of Information, Professor Dora Akunyili and won.
Magnus Abe is a member representing Rivers South-East Senatorial District in the National Assembly. He was elected Senator for the constituency in April 2011. He is gunning for a second term in office in today’s election on the platform of the APC. With the political profile he has built over the years, his chances of returning to the Senate in the next legislative session appear to be very bright.
Ike Ekweremadu
Ike Ekweremadu has been a senator since May 2003 on the platform of PDP. He is now Deputy President of the Nigerian Senate for the second consecutive time.
Ike Ekweremadu was born in 1962 at Amachara Mpu in Aninri Local Government Area of Enugu State. He holds both Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Law from the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1987.
Ekweremadu was returned to the Senate in the 29 April 2007 Nigerian National Assembly elections, and retained his position as deputy senate president.
In September 2009, Ekweremadu was named co-chairman of a committee to conduct the primary elections for the Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship candidate for Anambra State. In September 2009, he was appointed to lead the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) ad hoc committee to would work for the return of constitutional order in the Niger Republic.
Ekweremadu was reelected as Senator for Enugu West in the April 2011 elections.
Isiaka Adeleke
Adeleke was first elected senator (Osun East) in 2007 on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State. He ran for re-election in April 2011 on the PDP platform, coming second with 77,090 votes. The winner was Mudasiru Oyetunde Hussein of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) with 121,971 votes.
Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke was born in 15 January 1955 in Ede in Osun State. He holds a Bachelor Of Arts Degree, and a Master’s Degree In Public Administration. He was Chairman, Governing Council, Nigerian Export Promotion Council, Pro-Chancellor And Chairman, Governing Council, University of Calabar, Nigeria. He was first civilian Executive Governor Of Osun State (19921993), until the military government aborted the transition to full civilian administration. As governor, he signed the law establishing the Osun State College of Technology.
In March 2008, he instituted a scholarship award for about 100 indigent students in tertiary institutions across the country.
Babangida Aliyu
Governor Aliyu is the senatorial candidate of Peoples Democratic Party for Niger East. His Senatorial ambition was endorsed by the party hierarchy. He is to replace Senator Shem Zagbayi Nuhu, the newly elected senator who replaced the late senator Kuta who died last year.
Aliyu will complete his two-term tenure as Governor of Niger State. He is the chairman of the PDP Governorship. He was a member of PDP G7 that challenged the leadership of the party over what they described as lack of internal democracy. While five members of the group defected to APC, Aliyu and his counterpart from Jigawa State stay put in the PDP.
After the new zoning was announced, a non-governmental organisation, Talba Success Movement (TSM) purchased nomination and intent form for the state governor, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu.
The leader of TSM, Hamisu Jankaro, said: “Since the party zoned the Senate seat to Minna Emirate and in view of the sterling qualities of the governor, the group is calling on him to contest the senatorial seat”.
Adeola Solomon Olamilekan
Adeola started his political career as a member of Lagos State House of Assembly representing Alimosho (2003-2007). He was elected member of Representatives in 2007 and re-elected 2011. As Chairman, House Committee on Public Accounts, he introduced probity and accountability in public expenditure. It was through his efforts that the position of Auditor General became autonomous from the control of the executive arm of Government.
Olamilekan is popular among his people. He is known to have assisted many indigent students by providing them scholarship and bursary. Olamilekan is vying for Lagos West Senatorial seat. Despite his popularity he went round the whole of his senatorial district, which is the largest in Lagos State to canvass for votes.
He was a member of House Committee Aids, Loans and Debt Management, Emergency & Disaster Preparedness, Land Transport, Petroleum Resources.
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