By NWODO CHIDIEBERE
“The very essence of a free government consists in considering offices as public trusts, bestowed for the good of the country, and not for the benefit of an individual or a party.”
—John Caldwell
The above statesman-like quote exemplifies the political matrix that led to the historic emergence of bipartisan leadership in the 8th National Assembly—especially the Red Chamber, where the unalloyed support of the opposition party of the PDP, led to the enthronement of Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki of the APC as Senate President, against all odds placed on his way by the leadership of the ruling party APC. For seasons to come, political analysts and social commentators will dispense a lot of intellectual energy and political wizardry analyzing the political tsunami that led to the formation of a bipartisan Senate.
The covalent bond that cemented the bipartisanship nature of the 8th National Assembly is no other person than distinguished Senator Ike Ekweremadu, Deputy Senate President and Speaker of ECOWAS parliament. Senator Ekweremadu got 54 out of the 74 votes cast to emerge as Deputy Senate President for the unprecedented three consecutive terms in the nation’s political history, not as a result of his party affiliation or ethnic stock but bipartisan tendency that characterized the activities of the “legislative Michelangelo” in the upper chamber since his political voyage began in the Red Chamber in 2003. This dexterity manifested in the stability of the Senate witnessed since 2007 as a result of impeccable synergy that coexisted between the honorary leader of the Senate and longest serving Senator in the nation’s history; immediate past Senate President David Mark and his erstwhile deputy, Senator Ike Ekweremadu.
The emergence of the bipartisan leadership in the Senate has entrenched independence of the Legislature in the polity; it will also ensure effective checks and balances between Executive arm of government and the Legislature, which is the hallmark of true democracy. The momentous return of Senator Ekweremadu as Deputy Senate President should not be seen as a ploy by the opposition PDP to hijack the 8th National Assembly, but the required synergy amongst the two leading political parties in the upper chamber to legislate effectively without rancour. The experience and bipartisan character of the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ekweremadu, will help the newly elected Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, to sustain David Mark’s legacy of stability in the Senate, and, at the same time promote bipartisan and pro-masses bills that will assist in annihilating the myriad of challenges facing the Nigerian nation.
Having served for eighty years as Deputy Senate President and three years as Speaker of ECOWAS parliament, Senator Ekweremadu’s irrefutable record of performance both as Deputy Senate President and Speaker of ECOWAS parliament will rub off on the current Senate President, to enable him skip all the banana peels that will be thrown into the red chamber by his adversaries—taking into consideration the horse trading and intrigues that led to his emergence as Senate President.
With the heroic comeback of a legislative guru and a proverbial cat with nine lives like Senator Ekweremadu as his deputy, Senate President, Bukola Saraki, can sleep with his two eyes closed. It will take a miracle for the current leadership of the 8th National Assembly not to succeed and outperform its predecessors.
The third coming of Senator Ike Ekweremadu as deputy senate president did not occur as a result of his state of origin and geo-political consideration, but was made possible by the spirit of diligence and excellence, legislative prowess, political sagacity, sportsmanship and bipartisan traits he exhibited on the floor of the red chamber when discharging his legislative duties. His election as deputy senate president with 54 votes, which is more than the total number of senators produced by his party, PDP, attests to my humble assertion that he is indisputably the bipartisan bond binding the 8th National Assembly together. His emergence as deputy senate president for the 8th National Assembly has balanced the hitherto lopsided political geometrics in power sharing amongst the geo-political zones that constitute the nation’s political topography, which was a fallout of the outcome of the last general elections—where the now opposition party, PDP, cleared all the National Assembly seats that were available for grab during the general elections in the zone. The ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), as a result of the excruciating defeat suffered by the party in the zones during the just concluded general elections, intended to scheme out the South-South and South-East geo-political zones, but the recent positive development in the National Assembly which transcended into the emergence of bipartisan leadership of 8th Senate has started correcting this abnormal zoning formula displayed by the APC—which did not consider the heterogeneous configuration of Nigeria.
The 8th National Assembly will be one of the most interesting seasons in the history of Nigerian democracy. The bipartisan nature of this Assembly will be displayed in day to day functions of legislators—where legislators will form a synergy across party lines in performing their national duties. Nigerians will witness scenarios where legislators from a political party will form alliance with legislators from different political parties to disagree or agree with legislators of this same party affiliation. For any meaningful bill to scale through in the two chambers in the 8th National Assembly, the inputs of lawmakers from the two majors parties must be sought to enhance a smooth passage of the bill, thereby encouraging transparency, accountability and cohesiveness amongst the lawmakers—which will ultimately position Nigeria and Nigerians as the true winners and beneficiaries of the bipartisan leadership of the 8th National Assembly, which was made possible by the election of an experienced and pan-Nigerian Senator, Ike Ekweremadu, who has paid his legislative dues in the red chamber.
The emergence of independent, bipartisan leadership in the Senate and House of Representatives has nailed the coffin of political godfathers and mothers—who will want to direct the national assignments of our elected lawmakers from their bedrooms. In the near future, it will help to checkmate the excesses of the majority and overbearing influence of the executive arm of the government on the legislature. It will create enabling environment for real governance devoid of party sentiments and interference.
•Chidiebere writes from Abuja via Chidieberenwobodo@yahoo.com
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