Meet Senate Principal Officers
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Adeboye Omoboye
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Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi
Abdullahi first came to the Senate in 2015 to represent Kebbi North Senatorial District. He was one of those at the forefront of the campaign for Ahmad Lawan to become the Senate President in 2015, but that did not happen.
A retired federal permanent secretary and a PhD holder, Abdullahi, 67, was said to be the unpaid consultant to different committees of the 8th Senate, although he was denied chairmanship of any committee by the former Senate President Bukola Saraki.
He, along few other APC senators, started the pursuit for the Lawan presidency once again following their victory in the 2019 general elections, with APC getting majority of seats in both chambers. He was made the chairman of the Lawan Campaign Council, a position in which he delivered.
Deputy Senate Leader, Ajayi Boroffice represents Ondo North Senatorial District. He first came to the Senate in 2011 and has been there ever since. Born on April 23, 1949, the 70-year old was a lecturer at the University of Ibadan in 1975 and Professor of Zoology at the Lagos State University in 1986.
He had at various times worked in agencies such as the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA), the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), among others.
Like the Senate Leader, Boroffice also worked tirelessly for the emergence of Ahmad Lawan as Senate President.
Senate Chief Whip, Orji Uzor Kalu
Kalu was the governor of Abia State from 1999 to 2007. He was at various times a member of PDP and PPA before joining APC.
He is the chairman of SLOK Holding and publisher of the
Daily Sun and the New Telegraph newspapers. He defeated Sen Mao Ohuabunwa of the PDP to become the senator for Abia North.
Kalu, 59, initially wanted to contest for the position of Deputy Senate President, having been a member of the House of Representatives in 1992, but he later dropped his ambition and became a strong supporter to Lawan for Senate President.
Senate Deputy Chief Whip, Aliyu Abdullahi Sabi
Sabi came to the Senate in 2015 to represent Niger North Senatorial District. He was made the chairman of Senate Committee on Media and Publicity.
A veterinary doctor who had worked for many years in the public service, Sabi became a major arrowhead for the Lawan Senate presidency and was made the spokesman of the campaign.
Senate Minority Leader, Eyinnaya Abaribe
Abaribe is among the ranking senators of the 9th Senate as he has been in the Red Chamber representing Abia South Senatorial District since 2007.
Born on March 1, 1955, the 64-year-old Abaribe was the deputy governor of Abia State between May 29, 1999 and March 7, 2003 when Kalu served as governor.
He served as the chairman of the Senate Committee on Power in the 8th Senate and was one of vocal senators on the floor of the Senate. He was believed to have worked for Lawan’s emergence as Senate President. It is believed that he would provide a vibrant opposition on the floor of the Senate.
Senate Deputy Minority Leader, Emmanuel Bwacha
Bwacha first came to the Senate in 2011 to represent Taraba South Senatorial District. He has been a member of the PDP since joining politics.
As a team player, Bwacha was the Deputy Senate Minority Leader in the 8th Senate, and it was natural that the PDP found him worthy of maintaining his position having served meritoriously last time.
Senate Minority Whip, Philip Aduda
The 50-year-old Aduda was a councillor for Karu and a member of the House of Representatives for AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency from 2003 to 2011, before winning election to the Senate to represent the entire Federal Capital Territory (FCT), which has only one senator.
During the last Senate, he served as the Minority Whip, a position he was said to have held diligently, which was why the PDP found him worthy of being nominated for the position the second time.
Deputy Senate Minority Whip, Sahabi Ya’u
Ya’u, 62, had served as the senator representing Zamfara North from 2007 to 2011 under the defunct ANPP. He later joined the PDP and contested during the last general elections for the same position.
After the Supreme Court judgment that affirmed INEC’s position that the APC did not conduct primaries in Zamfara State, Ya’u automatically became the winner of the Senate seat for Zamfara North and was sworn in alongside 106 others on June 11.
They will face disciplinary committee – PDP
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said the suspension of its seven members in the House of Representatives was not the only thing the party had done.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, who spoke with our correspondent in a telephone interview yesterday, said the lawmakers had also been referred to the disciplinary committee of the party for further actions.
He, however, declined to reveal the likely actions to be further taken against them.
He said the party was working assiduously to strengthen the role of its members in the National Assembly, adding that whoever failed to adhere strictly to party guidelines and directive principles would be disciplined.
“The party will further take decisions on the matter. Already, the suspended lawmakers have been referred to the disciplinary committee of the party. So whatever they say now is hypothetical. That is the only thing I will say for now,” he said.
