It is more than a year since the 9th Senate was inaugurated yet, ten senators including Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, have not sponsored a single bill to their name.

Unlike Lawan, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has 16 bills to his credit in the period under review.  And just like Lawan, Gbajabiamila is a presiding officer.

Other Senators without a sponsored bill are Ibrahim Shakarau (APC, Kano), Adamu Bulkachuwa (APC, Bauchi), Christopher Stephen Ekpenyong (PDP, Akwa Ibom), Godiya Akwashiki (APC, Nasarawa), Emmanuel Yisa Orker-jev (PDP, Benue), Kabir Abdullahi Barkiya (APC, Katsina), Nicholas Olubukola Tofowomo (PDP, Ondo), Peter Onyeluka Nwaoboshi (PDP, Delta) and Lawali Hassan Anka (PDP, Zamfara).

According to Daily Trust newspaper, the 9th Senate was inaugurated on 11 June, 2019. Since then, over 450 bills have been introduced, according to official records analysed between October 2019, when bills sponsorship started and July 23, 2020 when the Red Chamber embarked on a two-month annual recess.

The duo of Ignatius Datong Longjan (APC, Plateau) and Sikiru Adebayo Osinowo (APC, Lagos) also had no bills to their credit until their death in February and June 2020 respectively.

While the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, did not respond to a request for comment on the development, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau said he was currently working on a bill to amend the Pension Act.

Senator Adamu Muhammad Bulkachuwa (APC, Bauchi North) on his part said though he did not have any bill to his name alone, he co-sponsored some.

As campaigners for bills sponsorship by senators insisted that it was shameful for a lawmaker to spend one year in the chamber without any bill to his name, others are of the view that legislators should not be pressured into doing so. They said it was the duty of the Executive to sponsor bills.

In terms of bills sponsorship, Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi (APC, Kebbi) topped the chart with over 30 bills to his name. This is because the House of Representatives bills sent to the Senate for concurrence and the Executive bills stand in his name.

The Senate Leader is closely followed by Stella Oduah (PDP, Anambra), a two-time Senator, with 29 bills. Coming third on top of the chart is the Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege (APC, Delta) who had 22 bills. Most of Omo-Agege’s bills are those seeking to alter the provisions of the constitution. He chairs the Senate Committee on Constitution Review.

Next is Ekwunife Lilian Uche (PDP, Anambra) with 17 bills to her name, followed by Mohammed Sani Musa (APC, Niger), who sponsored 14 bills while Ifeanyi Patrick Ubah (YPP, Anambra) has 13 bills and Ali Ndume (APC Borno) 12 bills.

Istifanus Dung Gyang (PDP, Plateau) and Gershom Henry Bassey, (PDP, Cross River)  sponsored 11 bills each, Olamilekan Adeola (APC, Lagos) 10, while Buhari Abdulfatai (APC, Oyo), Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti) and former deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu (PDP, Enugu) have 9 bills each.

Ibrahim Barau Jibrin (APC, Kano), Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi (APC, Niger) and Betty Apiafi (PDP, Rives) sponsored 8 bills each. They are followed by Uba Sani (APC, Kaduna), Ibikunle Amosun (APC, Ogun) and Ibrahim Yahaya Oloriegbe (APC, Kwara) with seven bills each.

Senators who sponsored six bills each are: Kashim Shettima (APC, Borno), Bassey Albert Akpan (PDP, Akwa Ibom), and Abba Patrick Moro (PDP, Benue).

Those with five bills each are: Senators Muhammad Enagi Bima (APC, Niger), Abdullahi Adamu (APC, Nasarawa), Sadiq Suleiman Umar (APC, Kwara), Theodore Ahamefule Orji (PDP, Abia), Tolulope Akinremi Odebiyi (APC, Ogun) and Joseph Obinna Ogba (PDP, Ebonyi).

Senators Matthew Urhoghide (PDP, Edo), Ayo Patrick Akinyelure (PDP, Ondo), Aduda Philip Tanimu (PDP, FCT) and Samuel Ominyi Egwu (PDP, Ebonyi) sponsored four bills each.

Others in this category are: Biodun Olujimi (PDP, Ekiti), Ezenwa Francis Onyewuchi (PDP, Imo), Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko (APC, Sokoto), Teslim Kolawale Folarin (APC, Oyo) and Barinada Barry Mpigi (PDP, Rivers).

Lawmakers in the Red Chamber who have sponsored three bills each are: Abdullahi Gobir (APC, Sokoto), Robert Ajayi Boroffice (APC, Ondo), Ademola Kola Balogun (PDP, Oyo), Ahmad Babba-kaita (APC, Katsina), Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed (APC, Adamawa), Francis Fadahunsi (PDP, Osun), Hassan Mohammed Gusau (PDP, Zamfara), Rochas Okorocha (APC, Imo) and Hezekiah Ayuba Dimka (APC, Plateau).

Others with three bills are: Michael Ama Nnachi (PDP, Ebonyi), Olubunmi Ayodeji Adetunmbi (APC, Ekiti), Ramoni Olalekan Mustapha (APC, Ogun), Late Rose Okoji Oko (PDP, Cross River), Suswam Torwua Gabriel (PDP, Benue), Yusuf Abubakar Yusuf (APC, Taraba), Alhaji Ya’u Sahabi (PDP, Zamfara) Francis Alimikhena (APC, Edo), Adelere Adeyemi Oriolowo (APC, Osun) and Surajudeen Ajibola Basiru (APC, Osun).

Senators Amos Bulus Kilawangs (APC, Gombe), Clifford Ordia (PDP, Edo), Ibrahim Hadejia (APC, Jigawa), Abubakar Kyari (APC, Borno), Late Benjamin Uwajumogu (APC, Imo), Chukwuka Utazi (PDP, Enugu), Danjuma Goje (APC, Gombe), Degi-eremienyo Wangagra (APC, Bayelsa), Emmanuel Bwacha (PDP, Taraba), Enyinnaya Abaribe (PDP, Abia) and Ibrahim Gaidam (APC, Yobe) sponsored two bills each.

Others in this category are: Jibrin Isah (APC, Kogi), Kabiru Ibrahim Gaya (APC, Kano), Adamu Aliero (APC, Yobe), Oluremi Tinubu (APC, Lagos), Suleiman Abdu Kwari (APC, Kaduna), Binos Dauda Yaroe (PDP, Adamawa), Halliru Dauda Jika (APC, Bauchi), Sabo Mohammed (APC, Jigawa), Smart Adeyemi (APC, Kogi) and Ibrahim Abdullahi Danbaba (PDP, Sokoto).

Those with single bill each are: Ishaku Elisha cliff Abbo (PDP, Adamawa), Akon Etim Eyakenyi (PDP, Akwa Ibom), Ashiru Oyelola Yisa (APC, Kwara), Bala Ibn Na’allah (APC, Kebbi), Bello Mandiya (APC, Katsina), Chimaroke Nnamani (PDP, Enugu), Danjuma Tella La’ah (PDP, Kaduna), Danladi Abdullahi Sankara (APC, Jigawa), and George Thompson Sekibo (PDP, Rivers).

Others are: Ibrahim Mohammed Bomai (APC, Yobe), Lawal Yahaya Gumau (APC, Bauchi), Orji Uzor Kalu (APC, Abia), Oseni Yakubu (APC Kogi), Sandy Ojang Onor (PDP, Cross River), Shuaibu Isa Lau (PDP, Taraba), James Ebiowou Manager (PDP, Delta), Saidu Ahmed Alkali (APC, Gombe) and Umaru Tanko Almakura (APC, Nasarawa).

Controversial bills

In the last one year, some of the private member bills sponsored by federal lawmakers had stirred controversies in the polity as regards their desirability or otherwise.

Some of these controversial pieces of legislation are: the anti-social media bill, hate speech bill, a bill seeking to establish an agency for repentant Boko Haram insurgents, a bill for an Act to prohibit/ban the use of generators and infectious disease bill.

Culled from Daily Trust newspaper