In less than one year, Nigerians will once again go the polls to a elect new set of leaders. There is so much controversy surrounding the role being played by the National Assembly, but despite this, membership of the House of Representatives or the Senate tend to attract a lot of contest even as they come with a lot of expectations from constituents. We look at the challenges principal officers of the 8th National Assembly will face from those interested in their positions in 2019.
Many eyes targeting Saraki
With the peculiarity of political situation in Kwara State and the crave to have a change of leadership in certain quarters, the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki may have resistance in the coming general elections.
But pundits are quick to note that the politician would cruise to victory because he has enormous powers and resources at his disposal.
Despite this, the local government election conducted in November in the state was a pointer to what the Senate President might face in 2019 elections as Kwarans are reportedly determined to dismount the long enthroned political establishment in the state.
Kwara, according to some political analyst, “needs to be liberated from the shackles of a powerful clique as symbolized by Saraki at present.
For many years, it was easy to determine who gets what position in Kwara, considering the established norm which gives unfettered powers to the Saraki Political Dynasty that normally goes unchallenged.
The Kwara Central Senatorial District is represented by the Senate President, Bukola Saraki but many people from the opposition have perfected plans to challenge him.
One of them is Abdulrasaq Abdulrahman who had slugged it out with Saraki in 2015. Apparently alluding to the crisis in APC with high expectation that some of its leaders would defect, Abdulrahman recently said the Senate President would not be welcomed in PDP in the event he decides to defect.
Also, Yinka Aluko who was a PDP deputy gubernatorial aspirant in 2015 is looking at the direction of contesting for Senate from Kwara central.
A former Chairman of the Federal Character Commission and a former Vice Chancellor of University of Ilorin, Professor Abdulkareem Oba is another candidate who may likely come out for the ticket. Although Oba is said be aiming for the governorship seat in the PDP, his supporters want him to contest for the Senate because they believed he has the charisma to defeat Saraki in the poll.
However, Saraki being the political leader of the state and the popularly acclaimed godfather of other politicians in the state automatically enjoys the blessing and support of all APC members, hence no position from within; if anything many would ride on his back to sail through.
Although, there are rumours that the Senate president is eyeing for the presidency, sources said in the event he goes, he would most likely ‘endorse’ one of his disciples to contest for the Senate to hold forth in the event he lost at the presidential primaries.
Ike Ekweremadu
For now, it is not certain who from the opposition political parties are showing interest in the Enugu West Senatorial District seat by 2019. Nobody has been courageous to declare interest to challenge the Deputy President of Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu.
However, Daily Trust gathered that the Special Adviser to the President on Judicial Review, Barrister Juliet Ibekaku and the Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), Mr. Osita Okechukwu are interested in Ekweremadu’s seat, although they are yet to make their official declarations. Both Ibekaku and Okechukwu are from Udi Local Government Area under Enugu West Senatorial Zone.
When the former Enugu State Governor Sullivan Chime dumped the PDP for the ruling APC last year, the talk was that he was targeting the seat currently occupied by Ekweremadu.
But presently, it seems Chime is no longer showing interest in the senate. The disharmony in the Enugu State Chapter of APC may not be in favour of anybody coming out from the party to challenge Ekweremadu.
The chairman of PDP in Enugu West Senatorial District, Okey Ozoani said the various factions that exist in the state APC will make it easy for the PDP candidate to win in 2019 election.
A source close to APC told our reporter that “it will be difficult for anybody to remove Ekweremadu from the seat. Except he decided not to re-contest, that’s the only reason another person can come on that seat.”
The APC State Chairman, Dr Ben Nwoye declined comment on the development.
Ahmad Lawan’s challengers in Yobe
Except Governor Ibrahim Gaidam throws his weight to go for the governorship, the Senate Leader, Ahmed Lawan might have an easy ride back to the Senate.
Those close to political permutations in Yobe State said Lawan, who represents Yobe North Senatorial District, had made his constituency proud since his foray in the National Assembly in 1999.
Sources say as Governor Gaidam rounds up his second term in office, the likes of Senator Lawan are being touted as likely successors.
His human empowerment initiatives, his fight against the construction of Kafin Zaki dam which will starve River Yobe, free health initiatives, rich academic CV and positive relationship with the governor would make opposition to Lawan’s return to the Senate a herculean task.
Born in 1959, Lawan received a bachelor’s degree in geography from the University of Maiduguri, a master’s degree in remote sensing from Ahmadu Bello University and a doctorate degree in remote sensing/GIS from Cranfield University, UK.
He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1999 and was elected to the Senate in 2007.
But in the event Gaidam goes for another candidate, the likes Hassan Kafayos, a grassroots politician who defected to the APC recently might give a good fight.
Also, a former Minister of Finance, Alhaji Lawan Ngama who is in the PDP might join the race. He had slugged it out with Senator Lawan in 2015.
Akpabio’s domineering posture in Akwa Ibom
Godswill Akpabio is the Senate Minority Leader and Senator representing Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial district on the platform of PDP.
He still commands the respect and praises of the people of the state.
His emergence as senate minority leader being a first timer in the Senate was a feat that was deemed impossible until he clinched the post. Against all odds, he dethroned Senator Aloysius Etok in 2015 at a time he was angling for the position for the third consecutive term.
For now Akpabio is already preparing to return to the Senate next year, a move many believed is geared towards clinching the position of the Senate President.
Back home, he still commands the support of his constituency as no candidate is yet to declare any interest in unseating him.
Akpabio is from Essien Udim Local Government Area, but the people of Abak Local Government Area believe it is their zone to produce the next senator.
But they are yet to produce an aspirant and no politician from that axis has indicated any interest to vie for the position.
When our correspondent contacted Mr Cletus Eshiet, the PDP Vice Chairman for Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District, he said insinuations that the people of Abak are proposing to produce a contender for the position was false.
He said Akpabio deserves more than a second term in the Senate for all his achievement and contributions to the people of the district.
Limited challenge for Dogara
The Speaker House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has been representing Bogoro, Dass and Tafawa Balewa Federal Constituency of Bauchi State since 2007. He was first elected on the platform of PDP. Dogara defeated Seth Karfe who hails from Tafawa Balewa to get the ticket in 2007.
Before then, Dauda Garba Bundot from Dass Local Government represented the constituency from 1999 to 2003. Dogara later defected to the APC.
The speaker had on different occasions fought for the seat with strong political opponents.
But since his election in 2007, Dogara’s political profile rose astronomically both at the House of Representatives where he held some key positions and at home where he is always in touch with the people of his constituency and beyond.
Dogara was said to have been brought to political limelight by a former Bauchi State Governor, Adamu Mu’azu through Professor Suleman Elias Bogoro, the former Executive Secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), who hails from the same village with the speaker and is a relation.
The speaker enjoys the support in Bauchi political cycles, making him one of the most sought after politicians in the state.
His emergence as speaker of the House of Representatives in 2015 further strengthened his political clout, transforming him from a Bauchi State politician to a national political figure of sort.
It is widely believed that the speaker had never faced any strong opposition as the number one choice for his constituency.
That notwithstanding, there are some people from the speaker’s constituency that are believed to be interested in his seat.
Some of these people, according to sources include Dr Gashon Damina, a senior lecturer at the faculty of Law, University of Jos, who many believed is going to contest on the platform of PDP.
Others include a lecturer with the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) Bauchi Centre, Emmanuel John Kaka and Godfrey Manasseh Marti among others. Marti is believed to be angling for the ticket in APC.
Mr Gideon Bawa, a retired Head of Administration in Dass Local Government Area is also believed to be interested and will contest under the New Nigeria Peoples Party, (NNPP).
A lawyer, Kefas Yakubu and a former Bauchi State House of Assembly member who represented Lere/Bula Constituency in the 1990s, is also believed to be staging a comeback to challenge Dogara in 2019.
But many are of the opinion that, no aspirant at present could match the political strength of the speaker to pose a threat to him. Dogara appears to be in a comfort zone in the House of Representatives as he never showed interest in vying for the Bauchi State governorship ticket. He is, however, seen as a strong factor in deciding who emerges as governor in 2019 because of his influence both in the state and at national level.
However, the speaker had a running battle with Governor Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar after the 2015 general elections over some political issues. The feud had lingered on for long that it pitched most of the federal lawmakers from the state against the governor.
But the political atmosphere in the state may not be a guarantee that elected officials would not be challenged at the polls in 2019 because there are many political parties with formidable aspirants.
Gbajabiamila opposition from PDP
Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila representing Surulere 1 Federal Constituency in Lagos appears to be having it so smooth in his party ahead of the 2019 election even though he is yet to declare for re- election. But feelers from his associates indicate that he is strongly considering throwing his hat into the ring for the fourth time as a representative.
Findings by Daily Trust at the constituency show that none of his fellow APC stalwarts has come up openly to indicate interest in the seat with strong suspicion that he might emerge unopposed again.
It would be recalled that the majority leader secured the APC ticket in a primary conducted in December 2014 scoring 247 of the 252 total votes cast.
An APC member in the constituency who confided on our correspondent, said, “As I am talking to you, no member of the party has come out to say he wanted to unseat Gbajabiamila. He is our man and he has been representing his constituency very well since he was first elected.”
But Daily Trust gathered that the only potent opposition to his re-election is the PDP which candidate then is said to be warming up for another contest with the lawmaker.
It would be recalled that Mr Tony Ashi Kodi of the PDP came second in the 2015 election with 14, 550 votes while Gbajabiamila won with 21, 715 votes.
Kodi, who is still a strong PDP member, has not given up on his aspiration and he is said to be consulting at the moment ahead of the 2019 polls.
Despite the massive defection of PDP members to APC, a party source confirmed to our correspondent that Kodi, an Igbo man, remains a strong member of the party.
DailyTrust
