Politics
8th Senate: An Appraisal
As the 109 senators of the 8th senate bowed out on June 6 after four years of legislative activities, political analysts have commended their performance in spite of the tumultuous beginning of the session in 2015.
They observed that although the session was characterised by some challenges, most bills passed by the lawmakers had direct impact on the economy.
According to the 8th senate bill progression chart, over 200 bills were passed.
Some of the bills passed by the 8th senate are:
Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Bill 2015, North East Development Commission (NEDC) (Est, etc) Bill 2015, Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods (Miscellaneous Provision) Amendment Bill 2015, Petroleum Industry Governance Bill 2016, Sexual Harassment in Tertiary Educational Institution Bill 2016, Not-Too-Young-To-Run Bill, among others.
The Senate also adopted bills passed by the House of Representatives. Some of them are: Federal Capital Territory Hospitals Management Board (Establishment, etc.) Bill, 2016, Senior Citizen Centre Bill, 2016, and Compulsory Treatment and Care of Victims of Gunshots, Bill 2016.
The Executive Director, Youth Initiative for Advocacy Growth and Advancement (YIAGA-AFRICA), Mr Samson Itodo, commended the senate for passing the Not-Too-Young-To-Run Bill, which has been signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Itodo, a co-convener of the Not-Too-Young-To-Run Movement, said though the 8th Assembly had challenges, they performed creditably.
On his part, Chief Mike Ozhekhome (SAN), said the 8th National Assembly was the best in the legislative history of the country.
He said it performed creditably in terms of productivity and insistence on being independent.
He said: “In the entire legislative history of Nigeria, the 8th Aational Assembly passed the largest number of pro-masses motions, resolutions and bills than any legislature before it.
“Future National Assembly should and must take a cue from the 8th National Assembly, that the assembly is an independent arm of government, specifically created by Section 4 of the 1999 Constitution.
“They should make laws for the peace, order and good governance of Nigeria.
“Though expected to cooperate with the executive, it must not do so at the expense of its own independence as an arm of government that participates in the inbuilt constitutional checks and balances.
“It is not a rubber stamp to executive desires. Any National Assembly worthy of its name, must rise up and use its oversight powers under Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution, to check the excesses of the judicial and executive arms of government,” he said..
In the same vein, Executive Director, Foundation for Persons Living with Disabilities, Mrs Pat John-Oseh, hailed the legislators for passing the Disability Bill.
Dr Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, the Chairperson, Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), said the 8th Senate passed vital bills that contributed to the country’s development.
“Examples of those bills are the Not-Too-Young-To-Run Bill and the Disability Bill, which have been signed into law.
“Those two bills came out very clearly as bills that have contributed to Nigeria’s growth and development. Also, the Minimum Wage Bill signed into law is another one.”
Akiyode-Afolabi, however, rated the Senate low in terms of other legislative activities, noting that though the Senate passed a number of bills that were beneficial, it failed in other areas.
She said the lawmakers did not fully address issues bothering on the petroleum sector, the electoral system, among others.
“The Senate did not do much to push for passage of the Gender and Equal Opportunity Bill which has to do with women.
“In the last election, women suffered a lot of violence, they suffered a lot of discrimination and you can see that the seven per cent of women in the National Assembly is reducing to five per cent in terms of the number of women representation.
“A critical law of that nature is what the National Assembly should have taken cognisance of,” she said.
The TMG chairperson noted that delay in budget passage also characterised the 8th National Assembly.
“Year in, year out, they refused to pass budget at the time when it will be right to address the yearnings and aspirations of the Nigerian people.
“So there were lots of politicking that they actually left those things they were supposed to do as members of the national assembly
“So in terms of that, I will rate them very low because they had all the opportunity to help better the lives of Nigerian people, but they did not, “she said.
On their part, some lawmakers, who appraised their performance within the period, lamented declined assent to some bills that would have impacted positively on the country.
Sen. Foster Ogola (PDP-Bayelsa), said the 8th Senate performed creditably in all its ramifications.
“This 8th Senate has performed beyond expectation. We have passed more bills than all the previous senates put together.
“Even in terms of public discourse, we have done more because the Ethics and Privileges Committee has the highest record of public complaints they have handled,” he said.
Ogola pointed out that “ just recently, the bill I sponsored for the Federal College of Education Agoro, Bayelsa, went through third reading.
“Also, five tertiary institutions bill received third reading, including mine,’’ he said.
The lawmaker commended the Senate for passing the redrafted Petroleum Industry Governance (PIG) Bill, which President Buhari earlier declined assent to.
He said in spite of the fact that it was one of the critical bills that were transmitted but not assented to, the Senate deemed it necessary to pass it through third reading, a second time, with the hope that it would be assented to.
“Most importantly, we finalised the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill, though we could not pass the other tranches,” he said.
Senate Solomon Adeola(APC-Lagos), said there was no doubt that the 8th Senate started on a rancorous note.
According to him, the seeming frosty relationship between the leadership of the Senate and the executive affected the performance of the senate in some aspects.
He said: “The instability of the Senate lingered for about a year and a half, slowing down legislative activities within the period.
“Within the period, there was also change of leader of the Senate, causing another round of distraction.
“However, we were able to contribute our quota as lawmakers because we believe that Nigeria is bigger than anyone.
“With that in mind, we were able to bury our differences to focus on the project Nigeria.
“Over 200 bills were passed by the Senate and that is commendable, and it shows we were committed to contributing our quota to nation building,” he said.
Adeola said his expectation for the 9th Senate was to see a Senate that would be acceptable to all Nigerians and a leader that would carry everybody along.
He noted that for the policies of government to be properly implemented, there was a need for collaboration between the legislature and executive.
“We will be coming to the 9th Senate to pursue the agenda of the APC for national development,” he said.
Sen. Matthew Urghoghide (PDP-Edo), said all senators of the 8th Senate worked hard to ensure what was expected of them statutorily was achieved.
According to him, the 8th Senate has set a standard that subsequent sessions will work hard to achieve.
Urghoghide noted that “in a bid to ensure that the workload is cleared, we revisited even bills that were declined assent to and passed them through third reading a second time.
“We expect that the 9th Senate would do better.”
He advised the 9th Senate leadership to ensure checks and balances for a robust and sustainable democratic rule.
Senate President Bukola Saraki, in his farewell speech to mark the end of the 8th Senate, thanked his colleagues for demonstrating patriotism by protecting the sanctity of the legislature.
He said although some of them had to pay dearly for daring to defend the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, it was worth it.
He said he was bowing out a fulfilled man, knowing that in spite of the hiccups experienced in the life of the Senate, the achievements recorded could not be matched.
“Distinguished colleagues, as we come to the final plenary and the last few days of the 8th Senate, it is a victory in itself that we are seeing the journey to its momentous end.
“That I am here today, that you are here today, is a victory for democracy. It is a testament to what people can do when they come together for the greater good.
“This is also one of those occasions when the Supreme Creator reminds us, once again, that power does not reside in any one person.
“Let me thank each and every one of you for your contributions toward making this the historic Senate that it is.
“When I think of the many trials and tribulations we have faced as an institution, and my own personal travails particularly at the Code of Conduct Tribunal, I am humbled.
“This is because none of our achievements would have been possible without the support and cooperation of the entire members of this chamber.
“The invasion of the National Assembly by armed security operatives in August 2018 will live in infamy.
He noted that the legislations passed in areas affecting the daily lives of citizens, the economy, education, security, anti-corruption, health and many more, would remain a benchmark.
According to him, working together, they achieved many “firsts” in the 8th Assembly saying, “we should rightly be proud of these, especially as they are imperishable legacies we are leaving for the people.
“Our many firsts include the National Assembly Joint Public Hearing on the Budget, which we started with the 2016 Appropriation Bill.
“The engagement of the private sector and other stakeholders in crafting the economic legislative agenda was a watershed.
“For the first time, there were meetings and interactions with members of the public which were not previously the norm.
“One such interaction was the Public Senate, which gave the youth the opportunity to spend a day with me as President of the Senate.
“I have pleasant memories of my reading to an audience of small children inside my office, where, in the true spirit of Children’s Day, the kids themselves were the dignitaries.
With the curtain drawn on the 8th National Assembly, the Senate particularly will be remembered among many intriguing moments, for the drama that characterised emergence of its principal officers in 2015, where a deputy senate president emerged from a minority party, without any accord.
. Ijuo and Agbaje write for NAN.
Cecilia Ijuo, Taiye Agbaje
In a statement issued on Wednesday, December 31, 2025, and signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Obiora Ifoh, the party said it had taken note of Mr Obi’s defection alongside some of his supporters, as well as what it called a “lacklustre speech” delivered by the former Anambra State governor at the defection event.
“We wondered what new he intends to sell to Nigerians,” the party said, adding that it was not surprised by the move, having “since September 2024, parted ways with Peter Obi and some of his blind supporters in the National Assembly.”
According to the statement, the faction said it had patiently awaited Mr Obi’s exit, describing it as a blessing.
“The party is finally liberated by this defection and as party leaders, we count it as a blessing,” the party said.
The faction further disclosed that it had previously urged Mr Obi and his supporters to leave if they were unable to work with the party leadership.
It claimed that several lawmakers had been suspended for anti-party activities and that similar action would have been taken against Mr Obi but for the intervention of “some well-meaning Nigerians.”
It also blamed its internal crisis on Mr Obi and Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, accusing them of sponsoring what it described as an insurrection against the Julius Abure-led leadership.
“The crisis we had in the Labour Party was caused by Peter Obi and the Abia State governor, Alex Otti,” the statement alleged, adding that it was surprising Dr Otti had not followed Mr Obi out of the party despite his suspension.
Reacting to Mr Obi’s defection event in Enugu, the faction claimed the gathering was largely boycotted by prominent political and traditional institutions in the South East, insisting that those present were “political spent forces who cannot win in their wards should there be an election today.”
It warned that this development signalled the failure of any future Mr Obi presidential or vice-presidential ambition, claiming he had “clearly lost the charm that had endeared him to the people prior to 2023.”
The faction also accused Mr Obi of misleading the South East during the 2023 elections, alleging that the region suffers political marginalisation under President Bola Tinubu’s administration as a result.
“He must be told that the South East lost out completely in President Ahmed Tinubu’s government because they trusted and believed in him in 2023,” the statement said, alleging disparities in ministerial appointments and infrastructure allocation to the zone.
The Abure-Led LP apologised to Nigerians for its decision in the last election.
“We gave Nigerians a candidate we thought was good for the nation in 2023, but time has since proved that we made the greatest political mistake. We plead for forgiveness from Nigerians,” the party said.
It urged Nigerians to watch out for a rebranded Labour Party, promising to present “the best prospect” capable of returning Nigeria to what it described as its “glorious days.”
steadily toward unity, justice, and shared prosperity”, he said.
Speaking to journalists on Wednesday at his country home in Ikere-Ekiti, Dr Oluyede said the development came as a shock, stressing that INEC supervised and monitored the PDP governorship primary that produced him as the party’s candidate.
According to him, INEC officials documented the process, completed all required forms, and even affirmed his candidacy in court through sworn affidavits arising from cases linked to the primary election.
He maintained that no court order or injunction currently restrains INEC from listing his name as the PDP candidate, arguing that the electoral body lacks the constitutional power to determine who emerges as a party’s nominee.
Dr Oluyede described such decisions as the exclusive responsibility of political parties, not the electoral umpire.
While playing down panic over the released list, Dr Oluyede noted that electoral processes often involve reviews and corrections.
He disclosed that he had commenced wide consultations, including engagements with PDP leadership and formal correspondence with INEC, to seek clarification on the omission and determine the next line of action.
The PDP candidate assured his supporters across Ekiti State that he would appear on the ballot, expressing confidence that the situation would be resolved in his favour.
He described attempts to exclude candidates from elections as dangerous and undemocratic, warning that such tactics undermine the people’s right to freely choose their leaders.
Dr Oluyede called on the people of Ekiti to reject any form of disenfranchisement, insisting that elections should be contests of ideas, records, and acceptance by the electorate rather than exclusionary maneuvers.
He also declared that the PDP in Ekiti had resolved its past internal crises and was now united, focused, and ready to win the forthcoming governorship election.
He urged party members and supporters to remain calm and focused, expressing optimism that, with divine grace and the will of the people, the PDP would emerge victorious at the polls.
Mr Obi spoke while formally declaring for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) at a well-attended event in Enugu on Wednesday, where he outlined what he described as a fresh roadmap for rescuing the country from its socio-economic challenges.
Addressing party members, supporters and other stakeholders, the former governor stressed that leadership must be driven by integrity and accountability, warning against the culture of double standards in public office.
“We cannot continue to deceive our people. Leadership is about telling the truth and leading by example. You cannot promise one thing in public and do another in private. That is not leadership, and that is not the change Nigeria needs”, Mr Obi said.
He maintained that genuine national rebirth would only be possible if entrenched wrongs were corrected, adding that governance must be guided by competence, discipline and a clear sense of purpose.
Mr Obi also underscored the need for fresh thinking in the nation’s political space, urging political actors to move away from recycled ideas that have failed to deliver sustainable development.
“We must come with new ideas,” he said, adding that “Nigeria’s problems are not mysterious; what has been lacking is the courage and competence to address them differently. We need a new approach that puts people first and focuses on production, not consumption.”
Calling for a broad based political collaboration, Mr Obi appealed to parties and stakeholders across ideological divides to work together in the national interest.
“This country is bigger than any party or individual. All parties must come together to change the present trend. What matters is not the platform, but the future of Nigeria and the wellbeing of its citizens”, he declared.
Looking ahead to the 2027 general elections, Mr Obi challenged aspirants seeking elective offices to ensure transparency in their credentials, warning that the era of falsified certificates was drawing to a close.
“Anyone contesting for any position in 2027 must come with genuine certificates. All the machinery is now in place to verify what is genuine and what is not. Integrity must start from the very foundation of leadership”, he stated.
Drawing lessons from international development models, Mr Obi cited Rwanda and Indonesia as examples of countries that rose from difficult beginnings to become thriving economies through disciplined leadership and sound policies.
“These countries were once behind us,” he noted, adding that “Today, they are moving ahead because they chose competent leadership, clear vision and policies that support local production and human capital development.”
He also criticised the economic policies of the present administration, particularly the continued importation of food items that can be produced locally, describing such practices as inimical to national development.
“You cannot grow an economy by killing local production. Importing food that we can produce in Nigeria destroys jobs, weakens our farmers and drains our foreign exchange. A serious country must produce what it consumes”, he argued.
The event featured renewed calls from ADC supporters for sustained engagement and mobilisation, as Mr Obi reiterated his belief that Nigeria remains redeemable if led with honesty, competence and a commitment to shared national progress.
In his remarks, the National Chairman of the ADC, Senator David Mark, expressed confidence in the emerging coalition, assuring Nigerians that the party would deliver good governance at all levels of administration if entrusted with power.
The gathering also witnessed the defection of several prominent politicians from different political parties across the South-East and beyond.
The motion endorsing the defection was moved by a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief Emeka Ihedioha, and seconded by former economic adviser to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, Prof. Osita Ogbu.
Goodwill messages from notable political figures, including Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, Mrs. Aisha Yesufu, Chief Sam Egwu, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, Chief Achike Udenwa, Mr Onyema Ugochukwu and Senator Gilbert Nnaji among others, further underscored the growing momentum within the ADC.
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