10 Facts About New Senate President Bukola Saraki

The nation has finally chosen a Senate president and the former Kwara state governor, Senator Bukola Saraki has been given the mantle to lead the Senate.
This move has been causing rifts in the seemingly unbreakable All Progressives Congress, with many members’ loyalty being questioned.

Here are some facts you don’t know about the new Senate president.
1. He was born in  19 December, 1962, and is originally a medical doctor.
2. His father is Dr. Abubakar Olusola Saraki, a one time Senate president (1979 – 1983) in Nigeria.
3. He studied medicine at the London Hospital Medical College of the University of London from 1982 to 1987 and practiced as a medical doctor at Rush Green Hospital in London.
READ ALSO: Saraki Supporters Endorse Mark
4. His political career kick started when he was appointed by the former president Olusegun Obasanjo his special assistant on budget issues in 2000.
5. He was the one who initiated the Fiscal Responsibility Bill and served on the Economic Policy Coordination Committee.
6. On 2003 under the umbrella of the then ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party, he ran for and won the governorship of Kwara state.
READ ALSO: Mutiny In APC 
7. He was Kwara state governor for two terms, from 2003 till 2011, and had mostly positive reviews of his job.
8. He was the first Nigerian governor to be awarded the national honour, a Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON).
READ ALSO: Saraki Opens Up About Snubbing Osinbajo
9. Many governors have tried to copy Saraki’s community health insurance scheme, environmental ‘Clean and Green’ scheme and agricultural transformation scheme, which have been praised as one of the reasons Kwara is a profitable and clean state.
10. Before becoming a senator, he was the former chairman of the Nigerian Governor’s Forum.
Saraki’s fierce opponent, Senator Ahmed Lawan of Borno state who won the APC domestic polls, was not nominated.
Ike Ekweremadu and Ali Ndume are now the contenders for the deputy Senate presidency position.

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PDP’s Ekeremadu returns as Deputy Senate President

PDP’s Ekeremadu returns as Deputy Senate President

The immediate past Deputy President of the Nigerian Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, has been re-elected to the position. Mr. Ekweremadu is a member of the minority Peoples Democratic Party. He defeated Ali Ndume of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC. He was nominated by Abiye Sekibo from Rivers State. He won the race following a power sharing deal that had the minority but influential PDP back the new Senate President, Bukola Saraki. The PDP had openly declared support for Mr. Saraki in return for the election of Mr. Ekeremadu as his deputy. So almost all the senators who voted for Mr. Saraki are believed to have also voted for Mr. Ekeremadu.

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APC Crisis: Governors call emergency meeting as Osinbajo meets Reps-elect

Governors of the All Progressives Congress, APC, have called an emergency meeting to seek ways of reuniting the ruling party that is threatened by a major crisis over the choice of new leaders for the Senate and the House of Representatives. PREMIUM TIMES confirmed at the national secretariat of the APC that the meeting was called by the chairman of the APC governors’ Forum and Governor of Imo state, Rochas Okorocha. A source at the secretariat said the meeting would hold by 5p.m. Monday at the Imo state governors lodge in Asokoro Abuja. The source said the meeting would discuss how to find a solution to the crisis generated by the election of a new Senate President and Speaker. The APC had conducted a mock election to elect candidate for the two offices on Saturday and Messrs. Ahmed Lawan from Yobe and Femi Gbajabiamila were elected as Senate President and Speaker of the House respectively. However, the two main challengers to the posts, Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara, who are also members of the party, boycotted the election and rejected its outcome. They also vowed to defy the party and seek for the mandate of their colleagues in an election billed for Tuesday. The APC national secretary, Mai Mala Buni had on Sunday issued a statement urging Messrs. Saraki and Dogara to abide by the decision of the party. The two contenders rejected the plea by the party leadership and vowed to challenge the party’s candidates on Tuesday. Osinbanjo meets with Reps elect Meanwhile, http://9jacreate.blogspot.com/ understands that after several failed attempts by the party leadership to persuade Messrs Saraki and Dogara to drop their ambitions, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has decided to wade into the matter. One of the lawmakers loyal to Mr. Dogara confirmed that the Vice President had invited all members to a meeting, even as he said they would boycott it. “We received text messages from the party informing us of a meeting with the Vice President today; however, we see no difference between the Vice President and those trying to impose leaders on the House of Representatives, so we would not be attending,” he said. http://9jacreate.blogspot.com/ understands the meeting is already underway and Senators-elect are also attending.

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BREAKING: Bukola Saraki elected Senate President

Bukola Saraki, a former governor of Kwara State, has been elected the president of the eighth Senate. Mr. Saraki of the All Progressives Congress, APC, defeated his party’s preferred candidate, Ahmed Lawan, to emerge the Senate president. He was nominated by Sani Yerima and seconded by Dino Melaye. Mr. Saraki has been sworn into office. The election for the office of Senate Deputy President is still ongoing. Immediate past deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, is contesting against Ali Ndume from Borno State. He is expected to win the race following a power sharing deal that had the minority but influential PDP back the new senate president, Bukola Saraki. Our earlier update indicating Mr. Ekweremadu had been elected unopposed was in error and is regretted. More details coming…

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PDP Adopts Saraki, Dogara as Buhari meets APC lawmakers

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has adopted Senator Bukola Saraki for the position of Senate President. In the same vein, the PDP has adopted Yakubu Dogara for the position of the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The party, in a statement Tuesday morning, urged its senators and members-elect in the National Assembly to vote the two lawmakers. The party’s move directly counters the position of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, whose adopted candidates are Femi Gbajabiamila for the position of Speaker, and Ahmed Lawan for the position of Senate President. Meanwhile, just hours before the election at the National ASssembly, President Muhammadu Buhari will meet with all Senators and House of Representatives elect of the All Progressives Congress, APC, on Tuesday at 9 am at the International Conference Centre Abuja. Mr. Buhari returned to the country at about 1a.m. from Germany where he attended the meeting of the G7 countries. The spokesperson for the APC, Lai Mohammed, who announced the meeting also urged all concerned to attend. The APC has been enmeshed in crisis in the build up to the election of new Principal Officers for the National Assembly.

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