Senator Ali Ndume has called on President Tinubu to withdraw the ambassadorial nomination list before the Senate, alleging that the distribution violates the federal character principle. He claims some states have multiple nominees while others have none, warning that the imbalance could deepen mistrust and inflame regional grievances. The senator appeals for a re-submitted list that reflects broader geographic and state-level inclusiveness. (Sources: Daily Trust and Tribune, Dec 6, 2025.)
Tag: senate
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Debate Relevance of N’Assembly to Nigerians, not ‘Jumbo Pay’ – Senate President
President of the Nigerian Senate, Ahmad Lawan has challenged those who are critical of the National Assembly to a debate on the relevance of the Legislature to Nigerians rather than criticising the funding of the Assembly.
Lawan threw up the challenge in Abuja on Friday while declaring open a retreat for top management staff of the National Assembly and National Assembly Service Commission.
“What does the National Assembly mean to Nigerians what does the legislature mean to Nigerians.
“We need to understand what the National Assembly or what the Legislature is to Nigerians,” Lawan said.
According to a statement issued by the
Special Adviser on Media
to President of the Senate, Ola Awoniyi, Lawan called for a proper debate on what the functions of the National Assembly and Indeed the Legislature should be rather than talking about the Jumbo pay.“Where is the Jumbo pay? We should be looking for value for money. Without this National Assembly or the Legislature across the country, what we have is no democracy anymore. So the value of the National Assembly or the Legislature to Nigeria is democracy.
“We always debate on Jumbo pay instead of what should be the functions and hold us responsible for what we are able to do and for what we are not able to do.
“Ask for what you think we should be doing rather than saying ‘close the Senate’ or ‘close the National Assembly.’ Do you understand the implication of this.
“You close the Senate, for example, not because I’m in the Senate but the Senate is a leveller. Senate is a leveller because in the House of Representatives, population is the major consideration and that’s why some States will have five or six members of the House and others will have more than 20.
“So if you say ‘close the Senate,’ you can be sure that there will be a day when people will cry foul of the tyranny of the majority.
“But you come to the Senate, what Kano state produces in the Senate is what Bayelsa produces – three Senators in Kano and you have three Senators from Bayelsa.
“That gives everyone the advantage and the opportunity to be represented fully and properly and equally in the Senate. So that stabilises the system.
“That tells you that that representation in the Senate that provides equality of states is to work to ensure that every part of this country is fully represented and protected.”
The Senate President said the National Assembly is allocated less than one percent of the National Budget yearly.
“So where is the remaining 99 percent. Yet instead of trying to see how the 125 billion to 128 billion naira will be utilised by the National Assembly system, what will be the output from the National Assembly, how useful are the output to the Nigerian public, we will always argue ‘cut the funding to the National Assembly.’ ‘Its bogus.’
“I’m not here to defend the National Assembly but I’m here to encourage a debate on what the National Assembly means to us as a country or what our legislature means to us as a country and as a people.
“If you don’t like the set of members in the Ninth National Assembly, change all of us in 2023. Get better people but help support the system to function because that is your protection,” Lawan said.
By Tobiloba Kolawole
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Head of Nigeria’s Electoral Commission Hands Over to Surbodinate Pending Re-appointment
A re-nominee for chairmanship position of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu, Monday handed over to a National Commissioner (North-east), Ahmed Mu’azu, to serve as acting chairman of the electoral body, pending the confirmation of former’s re-nomination or otherwise by the Senate.
Mu’azu, who’s in charge of the Electoral Logistics Committee of the commission, received the handing over note from Yakubu at a ceremony which took place at INEC headquarters in Abuja.
It would be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari had in October reappointed Yakubu as INEC chairman for a second and final term, sending a letter to the senate for confirmation of this reappointment.
Yakubu was first appointed by Buhari in October 2015 and assumed office on November 9, 2015, where he has been overseeing the activities of the commission.
Five other national commissioners also bowed out of the commission on Monday.
Mua’zu was born on September 6, 1957 in Gombe State.
He had his early education in Gombe, Kaduna and Maiduguri between 1964-1975.
Idowu Sowunmi
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Senate Reveals: Power Minister Abuses Office, Sites 20 Projects in His LGA
Senate Committee on Power has accused the Minister of Power, Maman Saleh, of official misconduct for siting about 20 rural electrification projects in his Lau Council Area of Taraba State.
The accusation was made on Wednesday when the Minister’s activities was queried by members of the committee.
The committee stated that the minister acted against his oath of office to be fair to all.
It was also discovered that the projects, which were captured in the 2021 budget of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) were uncovered during the minister’s budget defense of the agency, which is under the supervision of the Minister.
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A member of the committee and representative of Taraba Central Senatorial District, Yusuf Yusuf, had drawn the committee’s attention to the concentration of 20 projects in various amounts of between N20m to N50m in Lau Council Area as captured in the budget proposal.
Yusuf, however, indicated that he was not challenging the minister, but was only trying to set the records straight.
Chairman of the Committee, Gabriel Suswam, who corroborated Yusuf’s submission, said he was happy that a senator from Taraba pointed out the anomaly.
Other senators expressed disappointment that Saleh allowed his personal interest to affect his official conduct and decisions, which they perceived as a grievous matter.
Explaining the implications of the minister’s action, representative of Kebbi Central Senatorial District, Bala Ibn Na’Allah, said public officials were supposed to show fairness in carrying out their assignments, no matter the pressure.
The senators also expressed disappointment over what they described as REA management’s disregard for establishing regional headquarters and head offices across the country.
Consequently, the Senate directed the agency to revert to the geo-political zones arrangement in locating REA’s regional headquarters.
Suswam, who represents Benue North East Senatorial District, expressed shock when Managing Director of REA, Ahmad Salijo, highlighted the location of some projects to the senators.
While querying projects under the title- Provision and Installation Of Solar Mini-Grids In Six Geo-political Zones, the Senate discovered that the project title had reflected twice in the document submitted to the Senate.
The Senate went further to demand that the locations of the said projects were cited.
In his explanation Salijo listed Dutse (North West) Bauchi (North East) Lokoja (North Central), Calabar (South-South), Oshogbo (South West) and Enugu (South East) as locations of the projects, but that trouble started when Suswam insisted on naming the specific projects, adding that the particular projects were for power back up for REA’s regional offices.
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Senator Suswam however, noted that out of the ovations stated as regional offices, Enugu was the only area where the REA complied with the national definition in establishing regional headquarters.
He affirmed that the agency flouted the directive on regional headquarters and offices in other areas.
“To whimsically site projects in one’s locality because you have directors from those places is wrong”, Senator Suswam emphasised, adding that abuse of power by public officers was unacceptable.
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Buhari to Present 2021 Budget to the National Assembly on Thursday
President Muhammadu Buhari will on Thursday present the 2021 budget estimate at a Joint session of both chambers of the National Assembly.
This was made known by Senate President Ahmad Lawn who during plenary on Tuesday acknowledged and read a letter from President Buhari.
President Buhari, notifying the Senate said: “May I crave the kind indulgence of the Distinguished Senate to grant me the slot of 11:00hrs on Thursday, 8th October, 2020, to formally present the 2021 Appropriation bill to the Joint Session of the National Assembly.
“While I look forward to addressing the Joint session, please, accept Mr. Senate President, the assurances of my highest regard”, Buhari said.
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Senate orders FG to effect 1% of revenue to NASENI annually
As a follow up to revelations that the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) had never received funding as contained in the 2004 National Assembly Acts, the Nigerian Senate has directed the Federal Government of Nigeria to ensure remittance of 1% from the federation account into the coffers of the NASENI.
The Senate gave the directive in line with the extant laws with effect from September this year.
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NASENI Executive Vice Chairman, Professor Mohammed Sani Haruna revealed FG’s underfunding when he made submissions on revenue projections of the agency for the 2021 budget before the Senate’s Joint Committee on Finance and National Planning.
According to Professor Haruna, the agency had never received 1% remittance from the federation account as provided for by the 2004 National Assembly Acts.
The Act establishing the agency provided that NASENI shall draw from the federation account, 1% revenue accruing to the Federal Treasury beginning from the year 2000 yet the agency had never received a dime from the federation account as stipulated by the law.
Alarmed by the revelation, the joint committee led by Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola ( APC Lagos West) ordered the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) Ahmed Idris, to commence the disbursement of 1% allocation from the federation account into the covers for NASENI from September this year.
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“The Act setting up NASENI was the Act of the National Assembly and the Accountant General of the Federation could not be allowed to flout the law.
“Therefore, since the AGF is here, please ensure that the executive starts implementation of the law from September this year because NASENI has potentials to develop and industrialise the Nigerian economy through the core mandates given to it by the extant laws,” he said.
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Senator Amosun mourns Buruji Kashamu
Senator Amosun mourns Buruji Kashamu
The Senator representing Ogun Central District at the Red Chamber, Senator Ibikunle AMOSUN, CON FCA has expressed sadness over the death, today, of a leading politician and stakeholder of Ogun State extraction, Senator Buruji Kashamu, aged 62.
READ ALSO…
In a Press Release, signed by Alhaji Bola Adeyemi, his Media Assistant , Senator Amosun, who’s also the immediate past Governor of Ogun State said
“Death, once again, has robbed us of the contribution of an enigmatic politician of the PDP, who represented Ogun East Senatorial District at the 8th Senate, our dear brother Senator Buruji Kashamu”He also said “although we belonged to different political persuasions, and disagreed on most issues, Senator Kashamu will nonetheless be remembered for his assertive presence in the political arena and uncommon doggedness”
” He fought myriad of wars with every breadth in his soul in the defence of whatever he believed in and for his personal freedom. Hate him or love him, he could not be easily ignored” according to him”
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Abiodun Mourns Buruji Kashamu, Describes Him as a Large-hearted Politician and Courageous Fighter
Senator Amosun prayed that the Almighty Allah, SWT, will forgive Kashamu’s earthly sins and give him eternal rest.
He expressed condolences to the nuclear and political family members of the late founder and financier of the Omo Ilu Foundation, the Ijebu Igbo Community, and Ogun State as a whole.
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Senate advises Buhari to Present 2021 budget in September
Nigeria’s Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, has urged the President Buhari-led Federal Executive Council (FEC) to begin in earnest estimates for the 2021 budget and ensure it is presented to the National Assembly by the end of September this year.
Senate President Lawan stated this Tuesday in his remarks after President Muhammadu Buhari’s request on the 2021 – 2023 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper (MTEF/FSP) was referred to the Senate Committees on Finance; and National Planning for further legislative input.
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Lawan, while charging both Committees to engage the Ministry of Finance, Budget, and National Planning on the MTEF/FSP request, stressed the need for the panel to lend its support to Revenue Generating Agencies, where necessary, towards meeting expected revenue targets.
The Committees were given four weeks to report back to the Senate.
“The request of Mr. President C-in-C is referred to the two committees, Senate Committees on Finance; Budget and National Planning, with Finance as the lead Committee.
“This Senate is giving the Committee four weeks within which to work very closely with the Ministry of Finance, Budget, and National Planning, and particularly engagement with the revenue-generating agencies where we are expecting them to meet their targets.
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“We need to ensure that they have all the support that they require from the National Assembly, particularly the Senate to meet their targets.
“Meanwhile, the executive should continue to work on the preparations for the 2021 budget, and by this, we are also equally committed to ensuring that we receive the budget estimates at the end of September and that we are able to consider the budget and get it passed before the end of December to repeat what we did for budget 2020,” Lawan said.
By Tobiloba Kolawole
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At last, Buhari okays Dongban-Mensem for Senate confirmation as appellate court president
Idowu Sowunmi
President Muhammadu Buhari has finally sent the nomination of Her Lordship, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, Acting President, Court of Appeal to the Senate for confirmation as the substantive President, Court of Appeal.
Justice Dongban-Mensem is a serving Justice of the Court of Appeal and was recommended, as is the practice, by the National Judicial Council (NJC) for the nomination by the President.
NJC’s decisions were taken at the virtual meeting of members of the council on April 22 and 23.
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Confirming the news, Buhari’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, explained that the nomination was in line with the President’s constitutional responsibility.
Justice Dongban-Mensem was sworn-in by Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Ibrahim Muhammad, on March 7, a day after Buhari appointed her as Acting President of Court of Appeal.