PROFILE: List of Senators Suspended by the Nigerian Senate Since 1999
By Kabir Akintayo
The Nigerian Senate is the upper chamber of the National Assembly, saddled with the responsibility of making laws through introduction and passage of bills. The Red Chamber consists of 109 duly elected Senators representing Nigeria’s Senatorial Districts.
Since the advent of Fourth Republic, only five Senators have been suspended from the upper chamber, including the recently suspended Senator Abdul Ningi who alleged that the National Assembly padded the 2024 budget with N3.7 trillion.
POLITICS DIGEST takes a look at Senators who have been suspended since 1999 till date, their offences and penalties.
Joseph Waku
Late Joseph Waku was a Senator representing Benue North West District from 1999 to 2003. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Senator was suspended on the floor of Senate in year 2000 for one week. Waku sparked a major controversy when he said it was better for the military to return through a coup than for former President Olusegun Obasanjo to continue as a dictator. The former Senator said Obasanjo’s government was the worst Nigeria had ever produced. This led to widespread condemnation, and Waku was immediately suspended from the upper chamber.
Arthur Nzeribe
Arthur Nzeribe was elected Senator for the Imo Orlu constituency in 1999 and was reelected in 2003. In November 2002, Senate President Anyim Pius Anyim indefinitely suspended Senator Nzeribe due to a N22 million fraud allegation. Nzeribe was planning an impeachment motion against the then-Senate president, Anyim. The Senate also unanimously passed a resolution, handing over the case to the police for detailed investigations. In the motion, the Senate said that Nzeribe would remain suspended until he supplied evidence that he had purged himself of his anti-democratic, anti-senatorial and disreputable conduct.
Ali Ndume
Ali Ndume who is a Senator representing Borno South was suspended by the then Senate President Bukola Saraki in the 8th National Assembly. The All Progressive Congress (APC) Senator had alleged that Saraki imported bulletproof Range Rover with fake documents and that of perjury involving Dino Melaye. He was suspended for six months, instead of one year originally recommended by the ethics committee.
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Ovie Omo-Agege
Mr. Omo-Agege, who represents Delta Central, was suspended after a lengthy deliberation on the floor of the Senate over his reaction to the Senate’s intended amendment of section 25 of the Electoral act. The act seeks among other things, to put the date for the presidential election after those of the legislators and state governors, respectively.
During a discussion on the proposed electoral act in February, Mr Omo-Agege described the proposed amendment as a plot against the President Muhammadu Buhari. Mr. Omo-Agege condemned the adoption of the bill at the House of Representatives stressing that only 36 out of 360 members of the house were present when the bill was read at the lower chamber
The Senate Committee on Public Petitions, Ethics and Privileges, which investigated him over comment on reordering the electoral timetable, recommended his suspension. According to the report, the erring lawmaker told the Committee that he had taken the matter to court already. However, the then Senate President, Olubukola Saraki, could not be dissuaded by the appeal from Senator Ahmed Lawan and Senator Kabir Marafa. Saraki insisted that political leaders must be disciplined to serve as a deterrent to others. He, however, reduced the suspension from 180 legislative days to 90.
Abdul Ningi
The Senate on Tuesday suspended Senator Abdul Ningi for three months over an allegation of N3.7 trillion padded into the 2024 budget. Ningi, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and a Senator representing Bauchi Central, in an interview with the BBC Hausa Service on Saturday, alleged that the National Assembly padded the 2024 budget with N3.7 trillion. He also claimed that the 2024 budget passed is N25tn while the one being implemented by the Presidency is N28.7tn.
Penalties for Suspended Senators
Shehu Sani, a former Kaduna Central Senator in the 8th NASS, said on his X account after the suspension of Abdul Ningi that “Suspension in the Senate means a Senator will not be allowed to attend the plenary and will be prohibited from attending committee meetings and participating in oversight functions.
“His Salary, allowances and all entitlements will be blocked. He will not have access to his office and he is expected not to be seen within the premises of the National Assembly, until the suspension is lifted”.
