Feature: Meet 5 principal officers of the Senate

– The 8th National Assembly was inaugurated on June 9 2015

– Senate Preisdent, Bukola Saraki, attended Kings College Lagos

– Reports stated that Ali Ndume, the Senate leader was suspected to be affiliated with Boko Haram insurgency

Since the inauguration of the 8th National Assembly is held on Tuesday, June 9 2015. Naij.com has compiled a list of five lawmakers who are also principal officers of the senate. Read below.

Bukola Saraki: Bukola Saraki was born December 19 1962.  He is the present President of the Senate of Nigeria. He was Governor of Kwara State from 2003 to 2011. He was first elected to the Senate in April 2011, representing the Kwara Central senatorial district. He was later re-elected in the March 2015 elections.

He was born to the family of Olusola Saraki, who was also a senator from 1979 to 1983 and a onetime Senate Leader of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. His mother is named Florence Morenike Saraki. He attended King’s College, Lagos, from 1973 to 1978, and Cheltenham College, Cheltenham, London from 1979 to 1981 for his High School Certificate. He then studied at the London Hospital Medical College of the University of London from 1982 to 1987, when he obtained his M.B.B.S (London).

He was formerly a member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) but joined the All Progressives Congress (APC). He is currently undergoing a trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal for falsification of his assets while he was the governor.

READ ALSO: Saraki Inaugurates More Senate Committees

Ike Ekweremadu: Ike Ekweremadu representing Enugu state has served in the Senate of Nigeria since May 2003. He is a member of the People’s Democratic Party and is currently Deputy President of the Senate for the third consecutive time. He was born in 1962 at Amachara Mpu in Aninri Local Government Area of Enugu State. He attended University of Nigeria where he obtained both Bachelors and Masters Degree in Law. He was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1987. Also, he obtained  Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Law from the University of Abuja.

Ekweremadu was reelected as Senator for Enugu West in the April 2011 elections, receiving 112,806 votes. The closest runner-up was the candidate of the Peoples for Democratic Change (PDC) party, Jackson Ezeoffor, who got 7,522 votes.

Ali Ndume: He is the majority leader of the Senate. He attended Comprehensive Secondary school Mubi, Adamawa state in 1978, then Kaduna polytechnic in 1982 and University of Poledo in 1990. In 2003, Ndume was elected to represent his people for the seat of Chibok/Damboa/Gwoza Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives on the platform of ANPP which he occupied from 2003 to 2011. On the inauguration of the sixth (6th) Assembly in 2007, he was unanimously elected as the Minority Leader and served creditably.

Due to the political disagreements in his Party in his home State of Borno, he left the ANPP. During the administration of Goodluck Jonathan, he was reportedly linked to the Boko Haram insurgency in the country. His target achievement is to improve the lives of Nigerians. He was born in 1961.

READ ALSO: 8th National Assembly Inauguration

Godwill Akpabio: The Senator representing Akwa Ibom North-West Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District Godswill Obot Akpabio, was born 9 December 1962. He is also the Senate’s Minority Leader. He was Governor of Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria from 29 May 2007 to 29 May 2015. He lost his father early in life and was raised by his mother. He was educated at Methodist Primary School, Ukana, Akwa Ibom Stat, then the Federal Government College, Port Harcourt, Rivers State; and the University of Calabar, Cross River State, where he obtained a Degree in Law. He was called to the Nigerian bar in 1988.

Godswill is married to Ekaette Unoma Akpabio. They have four daughters and a son.

Olusola Adeyeye: The Senator representing Osun Central constituency senatorial district He is a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC). He attended Obokun High School, University of Ibadan. He late proceeded to University of Georgia, USA for his Masters Degree then to University of Florida, USA for his PHD.

Adeyeye is married Moji Christiana Adeyeye, and they have two daughters and one son. His legislative interests are education, finance and human rights. His target achievement is to improve Nigeria’s infrastructure and human capital. He was elected a member of Federal House of Representatives in April 2003, representing Boluwaduro/Ifedayo/Ila Federal Constituency, holding office until April 2007. He was among those strongly opposed to allowing President Olusegun Obasanjo run for a third term. He is 64yrs. Also, he is the chief whip of the 8th senate.

READ ALSO: Senate Inaugurates Constitutional Review Committee

Phillip Aduda: was born in Karu, FCT Abuja. He attended Government Secondary School, Gwagwalada from 1983 to 1987. Then attended Kaduna State Polytechnic from 1987 to 1990 for his secondary education. While at the University of Jos, he gained a Diploma in Social works and social development from 1990 to 1992. At the Federal Polytechnic, Bida, Abuja Campus, he gained a higher Diploma in Public Administration from 1993 to1997.

He was elected as Member of the House of Representatives for AMAC/Bwara in Abuja (2003–2007), and was appointed Chairman, of the House committee on Federal Capital Territory, and member of other committees. He was re-elected to representing Bwari Area, Abuja in the House of Representatives in 2008. He served two terms in the national House of Representatives between 2003 and 2011. He was born June 13, 1969. He is 46 years old.

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