Almost one year after they were inaugurated, no fewer than 24 of the 109 senators drawn from all parts of the country are yet to sponsor any bill in the upper chamber of the National Assembly. However, each of the other 85 senators has at least one bill to his or her name.
The 10th Senate, which was inaugurated on June 13, 2023, will be one year on Thursday. A review of the activities of the 109 senators with regard to sponsoring of bills shows that 279 Bills were sponsored between July 13, 2023, and March 2024.
Lawmaking is one of the statutory and primary functions of legislators. The Senate is made up of 109 members, of which 14 were former governors until two Senators David Umahi (APC, Ebonyi-South), and Ibrahim Geidam (APC, Yobe-East) were appointed Ministers of Works, and Police Affairs respectively by President Bola Tinubu.
The number of former governors in the Red Chamber increased with the coming of former Plateau State governor, Senator Simon Lalong (APC, Plateau-South) who was sworn-in as a senator in December 2023 to replace Senator Napoleon Bali (PDP, Plateau-South) after a judgment of the Appeal Court.
Recall that Senators Ani, Dachungyang and Mustapha were inaugurated into the Senate very late after the lawmakers took off. While Ani replaced Umahi, Dachungyang replaced the former Minority Leader, Mwadkwon Simon Davou, and Mustapha replaced Ibrahim Gaidam.
Former governors currently in the 10th Senate are 13. They are Orji Uzor Kalu (APC, Abia-North); Senate President Godswill Akpabio (APC, Akwa Ibom North West); Seriake Dickson (PDP, Bayelsa West), Adams Oshiomhole (APC, Edo North), Ibrahim Dankwambo (PDP, Gombe North), Danjuma Goje (APC, Gombe Central), Adamu Aliero (PDP, Kebbi Central), Sani Bello (APC, Niger North), Gbenga Daniel (APC, Ogun East), Aminu Tambuwal (PDP, Sokoto South), Aliyu Wammako (APC, Sokoto North), Simon Lalong (APC, Plateau South), and Abdulaziz Yari (APC, Zamfara West).
According to a document from the National Assembly, among the 13 former governors, nine sponsored bills within the period under review. They are Orji Uzor Kalu, five Bills; Senate President Godswill Akpabio – (2); Senator Gbenga Daniel, APC, Ogun-East – (4); Senator Dankwambo – (3); Aminu Tambuwal – (1); Sani Bello – (3); Danjuma Goje – (2); Wammako – (2); and Adamu Aliero, one.
Former governors who are yet to present any Bill during this period under review are: Senators Adams Oshiomhole, Henry Seriake Dickson, Simon Lalong, and AbdulAziz Yari.
While Senator Umahi, sponsored one Bill before he left, Senator Gaidam did not sponsor any prior to his leaving the Senate.
The 24 senators, apart from the 4 former governors who are yet to sponsor any Bill are: Senators Ahmad Lawan (APC, Yobe-North), Victor Umeh (LP, Anambra-Central), Oluwole Fasuyi Cyril (APC, Ekiti-North), Titus Tartenger Zam (APC, Benue North-West), Peter Jiya (PDP, Niger-South), Adegbonmire Adeniyi Ayodele (APC, Ondo-Central), Oyewumi Kamorudeen Olalere (PDP, Osun-West), Anthony Ani (APC, Ebonyi-South), Imasuen Neda Bernards (LP, Edo-South); Okechukwu Ezea (LP, Enugu-North), Chukwu Chizoba (LP, Enugu-East), Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi-Central), Khabeeb Mustapha (PDP, Jigawa-South West), and Kaila Sama’ila Dahuwa (PDP, Bauchi-North).
The rest are Senators Rufa’i Hanga (NNPP, Kano-Central), AbdulAziz YarAdua (APC, Katsina-Central), Mohammed Dandutse Muntari (APC, Katsina-South), Enyinnaya Abaribe (APGA, Abia-South), Pam Dachungyang (ADP, Plateau-North); Onyesoh Allwell Heacho, (PDP, Rivers-East); Ibrahim Lamido (APC, Sokoto-East), Manu Haruna (PDP, Taraba-Central) and Musa Mustapha (APC, Yobe-East).
The Senate leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (APC , Ekiti Central) has the highest number of Bills with 23, most of which are from the Executive Arm of Government. Bamidele is followed by the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin (APC, Kano-North) with 17 Nills; Sani Musa (APC, Niger-East), eight; Olamilekan Adeola (APC, Ogun-West), seven; Partrick Ndubueze (APC, Imo-North), seven; Saliu Mustapha (APC, Kwara-Central), seven,9; Sunday Karimi (APC, Kogi-West), six; Adetokunboh Abiru (APC, Lagos-East), six; Senator Tony Nwoye (LP, Anambra-North), six; Kaka Shehu Lawan (APC, Borno-Central), six; Senate Minority Leader, Abba Moro (PDP, Benue-South), five; Suleiman Sadiq (APC, Kwara-North), five; Jimoh Ibrahim (APC, Ondo-South), five; Hussein Babangida Uba (APC, Jigawa North-West), five; Asuquo Ekpenyong (APC, Cross River-South), five, and Abbas Aminu Iya, (PDP, Adamawa-Central), five Bills.
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