Nathaniel Zacchaeus, Abuja
Offices of six out of the 109 senators in the upper chamber of the National Assembly are currently under lock and key because their occupants had either resigned or are being incarcerated in prisons within and outside the country.
ThisNigeria checks reveal that the senatorial districts not being represented currently are Nasarawa West, Borno North, Zamfara Central, Enugu West, Delta North, and Akwa Ibom North-East.
The lawmakers whose seats were empty at the Senate at the moment are Senators Abdullahi Adamu, who is now the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, and his Deputy representing the North, Abubakar Kyari.
Others are, Senator Hasan Gusau, who is now the Deputy Governor of Zamfara State; Senator Ike Ekweremadu, currently being incarcerated at a United Kingdom jail; Senator Peter Nwaoboshi and Senator Albert Bassey, who are both serving jail terms over corruption-related offences.
Adamu resigned from his position as the senator representing Nasarawa West in the 9th Assembly after his election at the APC National Convention which was held on March 26, 2022.
His resignation was contained in a letter sent to the upper chamber and read by Senate President Ahmad Lawan.
Adamu explained that his resignation follows his recent emergence as the new APC Chairman.
His deputy, Senator Abubakar Kyari has also resigned from his position as a Senator representing Borno North.
In a separate letter sent to the Senate, he said the resignation was on account of his new position as Deputy National Chairman (North) of the APC.
Adamu emerged as the APC National Chairman about a year and nine months after the Adams Oshiomhole-led National Working Committee (NWC) was dissolved.
He was returned unopposed at the party’s national convention held at Eagle Square in Abuja, the nation’s capital on March 26.
Similarly, the Governor of Zamfara State, Bello Mohammed Matawalle, on February 22, 2022, swore in the new Deputy Governor of the state, Senator Hassan Mohammed Gusau, who was a sitting Senator representing Zamfara Central.
The Governor said following the impeachment of the immediate past Deputy Governor by the State House of Assembly, it became imperative to fill the vacancy as provided for by section 191, subsection 3 of the 1999 Constitution.
According to him, the person who should occupy the position of Deputy Governor should be an able lieutenant, loyal, credible and politically astute, and relevant.
He said, “This is the reason why after a wide range of consultation across the broad political spectrum, it was agreed that distinguished Senator Hassan Mohammed Gusau should be nominated for the position of Deputy Governor of Zamfara State, to which he was just sworn in following the confirmation of the State House of Assembly.”
On June 23, 2022, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, and his wife, Beatrice Nwanneka Ekweremadu, were arrested by the United Kingdom for organ harvesting.
The metropolitan police who confirmed the arrest said the duo was charged with conspiring to bring a child to the UK to harvest organs.
The arrest followed an investigation by the force’s specialist crime team.
The Police said that they had been remanded in custody pending their appearance at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court.
The police statement read, “Beatrice Nwanneka Ekweremadu, 55 (10.9.66) of Nigeria is charged with conspiracy to arrange/facilitate the travel of another person with a view to exploitation, namely organ harvesting.
“Ike Ekweremadu, 60 (12.05.62) of Nigeria is charged with conspiracy to arrange/facilitate the travel of another person with a view to exploitation, namely organ harvesting.
“A child has been safeguarded and we are working closely with partners on continued support”
Ekweremadu had been going to Court from Prison custody since then.
Also, Senator Peter Nwaoboshi was first remanded at the Ikoyi Prisons by a Federal High Court in Lagos on April 25, 2022, over an allegation of money laundering pending a hearing on his bail application
Earlier, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had arraigned Nwaoboshi representing Delta-North before a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, over alleged fraud and money laundering.
Nwaoboshi was arraigned alongside his two companies -Golden Touch Construction Projects Ltd, and Summing Electricals Ltd, on a two-count charge bordering on fraud and money laundering before Justice Mohammed Idris.
The EFCC prosecutor, Mr Salisu Abubakar, said that the senator purchased Guinea House, Marine Road, Apapa, at the sum of N805m, knowing that the sum of N322m out of the purchase price forms proceeds of fraud.
The commission said that the defendant committed the alleged offences between May 14 and June 2014, adding that the sum of N322m, out of the purchase price transferred to the vendors by order of Suiming Electricals Ltd, formed part of an unlawful act.
The court also ordered that the senator’s companies, Golden Touch Construction Project Limited and Suiming Electrical Limited, be wound up in line with Section 22 of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2021
On July 2022, Nwaoboshi was sentenced to seven years in prison by the Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal on a two-count charge of fraud and money laundering.
The court also ordered that his two companies, Golden Touch Construction Project Limited, and Suiming Electrical Limited, be wound up in line with Section 22 of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2021.
The spokesperson of EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, made this known in a statement.
The statement was also posted on the agency’s official Twitter handle.
Nwaoboshi has, in the past few years, been enmeshed in several allegations of fraud and misappropriation of funds.
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In 2021, he was accused by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) of using 11 companies as fronts to secure for himself an N3.6bn contract in the commission. The contract was not executed and the money was not refunded.
The past NDDC spokesperson, Charles Odili, had said the contract was the “biggest single case of looting of the commission’s resources.”
Just on December 2, the Federal High Court sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State surprisingly sentenced the senator representing Uyo senatorial district, Senator Bassey Akpan, to 42 years in prison for corruption.
Akpan, who is also the governorship candidate of the Young Progressive Party (YPP) in the state, was prosecuted by the EFCC.
He was sentenced by Justice Agatha Okeke of the Federal High Court on a six-count charge bordering on money laundering and receipt of exotic cars worth N204m.
Akpan, popularly known as OBA, has been taken to the correctional centre in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, where he is expected to serve his jail term.
During the court proceeding, defence counsel, Solomon Umoh (SAN), pleaded with the court for leniency as the convict has a young wife and children to cater for.
He also pleaded with the court to tamper justice with mercy by including an option of a fine. But that was opposed by EFCC, citing legal authority to convince the court not to grant a fine as an option, particularly in the light of the fact that the court has not opted for the maximum sentence.
*Senate keeps mum as Lawan fails to declare seats vacant
The absence of the six senators from their seats and the refusal by the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, to declare their seats vacant, had denied Nigerians in 41 local government areas, adequate representations in the red chamber.
Attempts to know why the Senate President had not declared their seats vacant did not succeed yesterday.
When contacted Senate spokesperson, Senator Ajibola Basiru, said he was attending a programme.
He had yet to reply to the WhatsApp messages sent to him as of the time of filing this report.
*Situation affects Nigerians in 41 LGAs
The life of the 9th National Assembly would end in June of next year while lawmakers who would serve in the 10th Assembly was would be elected in February of next year.
Nasarawa West Senatorial District covers five local governments which include Karu, Keffi, Kokona, Nasarawa and Toto. Keffi is the headquarters (collation centre) of Nasarawa West Senatorial District.
Borno North is made up of Abadam, Gubio, Guzamala, Kukawa, Magumeri, Marte, Mobbar, Monguno, and Nganzai local government areas.
Zamfara Central is a senatorial zone/district in Zamfara State, comprising the entire geographical areas of, Bungudu, Gusau, Maru, and Tsafe LGAs.
Enugu West Senatorial District in Enugu State covers five local governments of Aniniri, Awgu, Ezeagu, Oji River, and Udi.
Delta North Senatorial District in Delta State, Nigeria, covers nine local governments namely Aniocha North, Aniocha South, Ika North East, Ika South, Ndokwa East, Ndokwa West, Oshimili South, Oshimili North, and Ukwuani.
The current representative of Delta North, Peter Nwaoboshi, who was elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), recently defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District in Akwa Ibom State covers nine local governments’ areas which consist Ibiono Ibom, Itu, Uyo, Uruan, Ibesikpo Asutan, Nsit Ibom, Nsit Atai, Etinan, Nsit Ubium
