Politics
Primaries: NASS suffers worse casualty as 230 lose out
By Adebayo Obajemu
For the National Assembly (NASS) members, these are not the best of times, buffeted on all sides by challenges, some of them largely their own making; the icing on the cake is the inability of large number of the Assembly members, totalling 372 that will not be returning as they could not win the primaries of their respective parties.
The reasons for apparent exodus include inordinate ambition and intrigues in the parties due to realignment of political interests. Many of them wanted to contest for high positions such governorship by senators, and Senate by Rep members.
Also many had fallen out favour with their governors who controlled the delegates for one reason or the other, including voting against governors’ interest in the Electoral Act. Done others had changed parties with the governors who dumped their previous parties without controlling the party structure like in Edo, Ebonyi, Zamfara states.
Although some members are not returning because they lost the primaries but vied and won primary for governorship seats. They include deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege; Aishstu Dahiru, APC Senator representing Adamawa Central, and Senator Sandy Onor, won governorship tickets of the APC and the PDP in Delta, Adamawa and Cross River states respectively.
Eight incumbent House of Representatives members from Katsina State, including Fatuhu Muhammadu, a nephew to President Muhammadu Buhari, representing
Daura/Mai’Adua/Sandamu federal constituency could not seek the tickets to become flag-bearer of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the 2023 election.
Muhammadu is one of the sons of President Buhari’s elder sister. He was defeated by Aminu Jamo who polled 117 votes while Fatuhu got only 30 votes. In the same vein, Murtala Isa, currently representing Faskari/Sabuwa/Dandume constituency was trounced by the Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Dalhatu Tafoki.
The incumbent member of the House of Representatives representing Kano Municipal federal constituency, Sha’aban Ibrahim Sharada, lost his bid to secure the governorship ticket and thereby paving way for Ganduje’s former Commissioner of Special Duties, Muntari Ishaq Yakasai, to clinch the APC party ticket to secure the primary ticket to the House of Representatives.
Benue
Senator OrkerJev, representing Benue North-West Senatorial District is not returning as he has relinquished the senatorial position to Governor Samuel Ortom, his friend who was returned unopposed at the senatorial primary election.
Delta
Senator James Manager representing Delta South senatorial district, a long serving senator who had his eyes on the governorship position, but lost the PDP gubernatorial ticket in Delta is not returning to the Senate. In Delta, only incumbent Senator Peter Nwaoboshi of All Progressives Congress, APC, is returning unopposed on his party platform.
Eight out of the nine House of Representatives seats in the state are controlled by the PDP with the APC holding the Ughelli North/Ughelli South/Udu federal constituency.
Of all the eight PDP seats, three of the incumbents: Hon. EfeAfe, Sapele/Okpe/Uvwie federal constituency; Hon Ben Igbakpa, Ethiope federal constituency; and Hon Nicholas Ossai, Ndokwa/Ukwuani federal constituency were smoked out and defeated by their rivals, and would not be returning.
For the Isoko federal constituency, Hon. Leo Ogor did not seek another term having held the seat for five consecutive terms.
Bayelsa
An incumbent senator from Bayelsa State and former state chairman of the PDP, Senator Moses Cleopas, did not make it in the primary, as he lost his seat to ex-Secretary to the State Government, SSG, and two-time Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Konbowei Friday Benson.
Incumbent House of Representatives member for Ogbia federal constituency, Hon Fred Obua, was sent packing at the primary by the chairman of Ogbia Local Government Area, Ebinyo Turner, in the PDP primaries.
Prof. Steve Azaiki of PDP representing Yenagoa/Kolokuma/Opokuma federal constituency opted to serve a single term by not contesting the just concluded primary, which Hon ObokuOforji, a member of the state House of Assembly from Yenagoa won.
Akwa Ibom
In AkwaI bom, it was a different ball game as the three senators, Christopher Ekpenyong, Ikot-Ekpene senatorial district; Akon Eyakenyi, Eket senatorial district; and Bassey Albert Akpan, Uyo senatorial district did not seek nomination for re-election due to zoning arrangements in their respective districts.
However, Hon. Emmanuel UkpongUdoh and Hon Nsikak Ekong lost out in Ekpene and Ikoni/Ini federal constituencies’ seats.
Edo
In Edo State, House of Rep member, Hon. Joe Edionwele representing Esan Central/Esan West/Igueben federal constituency did not win his third-term return bid, while Sergius Ogun representing Esan North East/Esan South-East did not seek another term as it was gathered that no third term is allowed in Edo Central.
In Edo North, the current member in the Senate, Francis Alimikhena, resigned his membership in APC, paving way for Oshiomhole to clinch the ticket unopposed. Senators Gershom Bassey and George Sekibofailed in the governorship primaries of their party in Cross River and Rivers states respectively and also not returning.
In the House of Representatives, Daniel Asuquo lost his third term ticket for Akampka/Biase federal constituency and Hon. Chris Agibe representing Boki/Ikom federal constituency was also roundly trounced.
Rivers
In Rivers state, a serving senator, Bari Mpigi, effortlessly picked the PDP ticket for Rivers South-East senatorial district.
Deputy Governor, Dr. (Mrs.) Ipalibo Harry Banigo, got Rivers West senatorial district ticket, following the decision of the incumbent, Senator Betty Apiafi to drop from the primaries as Banigo was the nominee of Governor NyesomWike.
Senator George Sekibo representing Rivers East senatorial district did not contest for the ticket as he had his eyes on the governorship ticket which he lost.
In Adamawa, Senator Aishstu Dahiru, APC Senator representing Adamawa Central won the governorship ticket of the party.
Hon. AbdulrazaqNamdas of Ganye/ Jada/Mao Belwa/Toungo federal constituency lost his bid to contest for governor of Adamawa on the platform of the APC.
Similarly, Murtala Isa, currently representing Faskari/Sabuwa/Dandume constituency was defeated by the Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, DalhatuTafoki.
Katsina
In Katsina central constituency, the immediate former commissioner of sports and social development, Sani Danlami, also trounced the incumbent lawmaker, Salisu Isansi in the primary.
It’s the same story for Batagarawa/Rimi/Charanci federal constituency where Usman Banye polled 77 votes to beat the incumbent, Hamza Dalhatu, who secured 56 votes.
Also, in the Mani/Bindawa constituency where the incumbent, Ashiru Mani was defeated by Ahmed Yusuf who got 56 votes against 54 to stop Mr. Mani from returning to the House of Representatives.
Similarly, the incumbent lawmaker representing Safana/Danmusa/Batsari constituency, Ahmed Dayyabu lost the bid to clinch a return ticket after he was defeated by the immediate past Commissioner for Special Duties, AbdulkadirZakka.
Sokoto
In Sokoto State, Senator Ibrahim Gobir contested and lost in the APC governorship primaries. One House of Representatives member, Abdullahi Balàrabe Salame, contested and later withdrew from governorship primaries shortly after the commencement of the exercise.
Abia
In Abia, Senator Theodore Orji, kept his promise of not seeking a third term, the other two, Orji UzorKalu of the APC and Enyinnaya Abaribe, who recently joined the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, had won their parties tickets for the Abia North and Abia South districts.
In the eight House of Representatives seats of the state, only Hon. Ben Kalu (APC-Bende federal constituency); Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha( APC- Isuikwuato/Umunneochi federal constituency) and Hon. Chimaobi Ebisike( PDP-Aba North/Aba South federal constituency), won tickets to return to the National Assembly.
Those who lost out include; Hon. Solomon Adaelu(PDP-Obingwa/ Osisioma Ngwa/Ugwunagbo federal constituency) and Hon. Uzoma Abonta (Ukwa East/Ukwa West federal constituency).
Hon. Uko Nkole (PDP- Arochukwu / Ohafia federal constituency) ran for the Abia North senatorial seat where he lost to Senator Mao Ohuabunwa. Hon. Sam Onuigbo( APC-Ikwuano/ Umuahia North/ Umuahia South federal constituency), opted to move higher to the Senate to represent Abia Central).
The representative of Isiala Ngwa North/IsialaNgwa South federal constituency, Hon. Darlington Nwokocha, also lost the PDP ticket to return to the House. Nwokocha is said to have secured the ticket of an opposition party to actualize his dream.
Lagos
A Senator representing Lagos West, Solomon Adeola, moved to Ogun West senatorial, where he defeated incumbent Tolu Odebiyi at the primary election of the APC.
The avalanche of losses and inability to win primaries by many National Assembly members have been widely interpreted as a vote of no confidence on them by their parties and party stalwarts.
“The fact is that those who won the primaries are not necessarily better than those who lost, what happened was that they were able to pay the delegates better than those who lost. In terms of value to their constituencies, I doubt if they have done anything significant”, says Professor Adeagbo Moritiwon, a political scientist in a chat with Business Hallmark.
Dr. Obaremi Obamo another political scientist told Business Hallmark that, “Returning to the National Assembly is about money, not value addition at least at the level of the primaries.
“Even in election proper, it has nothing to do with the competence, honesty and ability to deliver on promises or public good, but has a lot to do with godfather and money. The delegates involved are political buccaneers and merchants, pay them heavily and you win their votes.”
This view is shared by Molade Aderayo of the Network for Values in Governance, who in a chat with this medium said, “Election in Nigeria at primary level, and even election proper is not about values and ideology, it is still heavily influenced by primordial sentiments because of high level of illiteracy.
“Sentiments like godfatherism, religion and ethnicity, so a fool and incompetent, corrupt politician can win both at primary level and in general election, if the politician in question pulls the right strings and dole out money to buy votes. Those members of the National Assembly that failed to return failed in all these metrics.
The inability to return has touched the created concern in the Assembly over its stability and productivity, as the constant turnover of members dilute the quality and capacity of representation. Penultimate week, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, called in question the primaries of political parties held across the country.
He was touched that about 178 serving members of the house could not secure the ticket of their various parties to return to the green chamber of the National Assembly. He said this last Tuesday during his opening remarks to the lawmakers at the resumption of plenary after over one month of recess.
According to him, many members lost not because they have not done well in their respective constituencies but because of the process of primaries, using the delegate system which is what the House fought for by making direct primaries compulsory in the Electoral Act which the President has yet to sign.
“The past two months have been dominated by political pursuits across the country as political parties carried out various activities to nominate their candidates for the forthcoming general elections”, Gbajabiamila said.
“Unfortunately, as is always the case in electoral contests, some of us who sought the nomination of our parties to return to the legislature have not gotten it. Others who sought nomination to contest other positions have also fallen short in that quest.
“Honourable colleagues, it is rather unfortunate that the process went the way it went. I make bold to say here that the legislature has once again suffered losses. The loss really is not for members who lost; it is a loss to democracy, to the institution and to the country.
“If it means anything, I know and I am aware that many of our members did not lose their primaries because they were rejected by their constituents. Many of our members lost because of the process, the process which we foresaw in the House of Reps – the delegate system which unfortunately is not what a delegate system is supposed to be.
“Many of our members lost because they were not even given a fair shot. We have good legislators, both here in the chambers and back home, who are probably not coming back because of this same process.
“When we fought for direct primaries in this House, we knew exactly what we were saying. It pains me very deeply that the process has gone the way it has gone. We will continue to push and continue to fight for our members, for democracy, for the institution and this country.
“I have experienced political loss. And I can speak to the feelings of loss and disappointment that arise as a result. From that experience, I wish to share with you the everlasting truth that none of us is defined by the outcome of any election at any one time.
“What defines us before God and our fellow men is what we do in the time we have in public office and on earth.”
Gbajabiamila, who was greatly displeased with alleged irregularities that happened during the party primaries, lamented that “people are changing names, not just delegates,” adding that it was some members of the National Assembly who are being deprived the fruits of their labour.”
In the same vein, the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, also sympathized with senators who lost out during the primaries and congratulated those that won. Lawan, whose return is still uncertain, because the man entrusted with his ticket has refused to surrender it, assured those who lost in the primaries that decisions that would be taken before the general elections would be in their favour.
Lawan said that the electoral process drew out new issues that would have to be addressed by the parliament.
