It will be nostalgic for Nigerians who always watch proceedings of the House of Representatives when the 10th session of National Assembly begins in June.
This is as they will miss the legislative dexterity and acrobatics of some lawmakers who could not be returned either at the February 25 general polls or May/June, 2022 primary election.
The lawmakers that easily comes to mind include the outgoing Minority Leader, Ndudi Elumelu, his deputy, Toby Okechukwu; the Deputy Chief Whip, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha; the Chairman House Committee on Treaties, Protocols and Agreements, Nicholas Ossai and the Chairman on political parties matters, Muhammad Kazaure.
Others are the Chairman, House Committee on Power of the 9th Assembly, Magaji Da’u Aliyu; the Chairman House Committee on Electoral Matters, Aisha Dukku; Nkem Abonta (PDP, Abia), Benjamin Mzondu (PDP, Benue), the Minority Whip, Gideon Gwani.
The House of Representatives was hit by a political tsunami when 100s of members first failed to secure their parties’ return tickets while others were defeated at the general election.
The Director General of the National Institute of Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), Abubakar Suleiman had said over 130 members of the House were not going to return to the 10th session of the House.
He said the number may be more because the 130 members are those who lost in the primary elections of their parties and would not stand in the 25 February National Assembly election.
“Already, there is a clear indication that the incoming 10th National Assembly might be worse than the previous ones. When the 9th Assembly was inaugurated, there were about 215 new members, against a little over 130 old members which cut across all the political parties.
Some of the members who have lost re-election include; the Deputy Minority Whip, Segun Adekoya of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), defeated by Adegbesan Joseph of the APC that won the Ijebu-North/East/Ogun Waterside Federal Constituency of Ogun;
John Degh (PDP) lost to Regina Akume (APC) to represent Gboko/Terka federal constituency of Benue State (APC); Muhammed Garba Datti (APC) defeated by Sadiq Ango Abdullahi (PDP) for Sabon Gari Federal Constituency of Kaduna State and Micah Jiba (PDP) lost to Labour Party’s Obika Chinedu for Bwari/AMAC Federal Constituency of the FCT.
Serving members of the House defeated by first timers are Suleiman Samaila Abdu ( PDP) beaten by Mohammed Bello El-Rufai (APC), the eldest son of Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai to win Kaduna North federal constituency of the State; Francis Ottah Agbo (PDP) thrashed by Agbese Philip (APC) for Ado/ Okpokwu/ Ogbadibo and Kpam Sokpo of the (LP) defeated by Sekav Iyortyom (APC), all of Benue State.
Those who will be missed
Elumelu
Ndudi Elumelu
The Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, who represents Anochia/Oshimili federal constituency of Delta State was also defeated by the candidate of the Labour Party, Ngozie Okolie at the polls. Elumelu will be conspicuously missing in the 10th Assembly as he has since 2019 been playing his role actively as leader of the opposition in the House and even outside.
The lawmaker is always out in calling the attention of the APC dominated leadership of the House to some anomalies, and always contributing usefully to debates on bills and motions. He usually becomes more vocal and even dramatic when objecting to issues, especially detection of opposition lawmakers to the ruling APC.
In one of such engagements, he said: “it’s very funny, how the APC-led government is priding themselves that they intimidate people to join their party while Nigerians can’t sleep.
“There is insecurity in the nation. Today, Zamfara is locked out. Even Katsina is totally locked up. An Emir recently just installed has been kidnapped. Too bad, that an Emir who came just this week for a visa and went home to just get documents that will enable him go for his medical checkup has been kidnapped.
“This clearly shows that APC-led government is leading the nation very bad. When the House leader is busy priding himself that people are coming to APC, until APC-led government is able to provide security of lives and property, we can’t have a safe Nigeria as we speak”.
Okechukwu
The House Deputy Minority Leader had lost the PDP return ticket to seek re-election for Oji River/Awgu/Aninri Federal Constituency of Enugu State Anayo Onwuegbu.
The experienced lawmaker will be missed for his incisive contributions to lawmaking, debates on the floor of the House and general modus operandi of the Green Chambers. More than any lawmaker, Okechukwu always bring to the attention of the Presiding Officers when never the Standing Orders of the House are contravened.
Onyejeocha
The Deputy Chief Whip of the House also lost her re-election bid to a Labour Party candidate, Amobi Ogah in Abia State. She will be missed for her legislative prowess especially when it comes to demand for women emancipation.
Amongst several bills, she sponsored the ambitious bill seeking extra legislative seats for women in each state of the federation which was killed at the constitution alteration stage.
Also, the amusing feminine voice that oozes out calling for ORDER!! when Nkeiruka as called by her colleagues is performing her duty as Deputy Chief Whip will not be held in the 10th Assembly.
Ossai
The Chairman, House Committee on Treaties, Protocols and Agreements will no longer be held in the next House always calling attention to the Constitutional provisions and Standing Orders of the House almost whenever an issue – bill, motion, matter of personal explanation is raised. He will also be missed for his vibrancy at the Committees meetings, tackling executive excesses. Ossai lost at the primaries.
Kazaure
The Jigawa lawmaker whose return bid was thwarted at the primary election will be equally missed in the 10th Assembly if not for anything, his hilarious nature. Gudaji as he is fondly called without recourse to the rules of English grammar, always marshall out his points to the admiration of his colleagues. Sometimes when there is tension in the House, Kazaure provides comic relieve.
One of such instances was when he said the simple solution to sexual harassment of women was to cut that ‘thing’, referring to manhood of a culprit. Kazaure would also be missed for ascribing to himself the position of speaker of the Nigerian masses.
Magaji Da’u Aliyu
The Chairman, House Committee on Power, though a member of the ruling APC, always complain with bitter passion the perennial problem of power failure in the country. He will be greatly missed on that account and other legislative engagements.
Aisha Dukku
The Chairman, House Committee on Electoral Matters was an amazon in the midst of men as far as the 9th Assembly is concerned. Basically, she sponsored the most celebrated Electoral Act 2022 and was up and doing on the floor and in other engagements for the country’s electoral reforms.
Nkem Abonta
The Abia lawmaker was always vibrant on the floor and at Committee level, always using his experience as a ranking member to guide proceedings. He lost at the primary election.
Recently when a motion to investigate attacks on INEC facilities was almost killed, he rise to the occasion and it was taken.
According to him; “the issue is topical, necessary. I want to believe we have a similar motion but the report is not out. She wants to present this motion based on the intending danger.
“The burning of INEC offices is a threat to our democracy, therefore I think something urgent must be done because we may come tomorrow and hear another one is burnt.
“I implore we allow her to present this motion so we can discuss it and make suggestions and resolve on something that must be done. If this is not put to an end, we are inviting anarchy.”
Benjamin Mzondu
The young and vibrant PDP lawmaker who lost to his predecessor Dickson Takighir of the APC for Makurdi-Guma Federal Constituency of Benue State will be missed for his legislative acrobatics whenever contributing to debate or leading debate on issues on the floor of the House. His opposition to the controversial Water Resources Bill can not be forgotten in a hurry. Also his appropriation of the title of ‘representative of the unemployed youths’ to himself stood him out in the 9th House.