The race to occupy the number three political position in Nigeria has started in earnest. Expectedly also, many senators-elect have thrown their hats in the ring; both the serious and otherwise.Those interested have revved up their campaign machinery to ensure they become the next Senate President. .Even though the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has not made any decision on the zoning of positions or offices of the 10th Assembly. APC won a majority in the Senate with 60 seats, while the PDP has 32 seats. The Labour Party has six seats. The NNPP and the SDP have two seats each; APGA and YPP have one each. But since 1960, the Northwest as a geopolitical zone has not produced a Senate President. The Southeast geopolitical zone has produced many senate presidents. The north-central geological zone came second in terms of leading the hallowed chamber. Iyorchia Ayu, Ameh Ebute, David Mark, and Bukola Saraki are all from North-central, and the current senate president, Ahmed Lawan is from North-east.
The tenth national assembly is expected to be led by a person with considerable legislative experience and expertise. He should be a person capable of presiding over its affairs and also whether the storms at any given time. If that is the case, the incoming assembly needs no one other than Senator Barau Jibril as a leading candidate for the Senate presidency from the northwest. He has earned enough legislative experience to lead the red chamber.
Pursuant to Section 2(a) of the Standing Orders of the Senate, only a ranking Senator-Elect with legislative experience can be duly elected as the president of the senate. Indeed, by virtue of Order 3, Rule 2 of the Senate Standing Orders 2022 as amended on the nomination of presiding officers and appointments of Principal Officers and other Officers of the Senate, it shall be in accordance with the ranking of senators. In determining ranking, the following Order shall apply: (i) Senators returning based on number of times re-elected; (ii) Senators who had been members of the House of Representatives, (iii) Senators elected as Senators for the first time.
In addition to this section, Senator Barau Jibril is the most ranking and experienced senator-elect from the North West geopolitical zone seeking to lead the next senate. If the postulation is anything to go by, Senator Barau Jibrin (Maliya) can be entrusted with the challenging responsibility of becoming the Senate President. His interest in vying the position is not about himself, but rather to sanitize the nation’s national assembly. He will ensure global best practice legislation.
The success of every democracy rests squarely on the quality of the parliament hence the need to always have in place a solid legislature with sound players. Senator Barau Jibril has became a household name from his days as a member in the House of Representatives from 1999 to 2003 to red chamber from 2015 till date
Recently, close monitors of lawmakers performance in the country acknowledged Senator Barau’s triumph during the last presidential and national assembly elections, while Maliya emerged victorious in the Kano North senatorial district election, despite the political turbulence caused by the NNPP in the state. This evidenced his political credentials. He won the election by a considerable margin, receiving 234,652 votes and defeating the candidate of Kwankwaso’s New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Baffa Bichi who garnered 177,014 votes. Despite the Kwankwasiyya tsunami which has caused serious damage to the ruling party in the state, he survived. The tsunami unseated 17 serving APC members in the green chamber, 2 senators.
Academically, Barau I. Jibril has all it takes to be the next senate president. He holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting, Masters certificate in Financial Management and Pricing, Masters Certificate in Management and Masters of Business Administration (MBA). He also holds a Certificate in Financial Management for business decisions from the prestigious Cornell University, United State of America. On the return of democracy in the country in 1999, he contested for the House of Representatives to represent Tarauni Federal Constituency of Kano State which he won and served for only one term. After he and other lawmakers defeated the tenure elongation of President Obasenjo. While in the House of Representatives.
He served as the Chairman, House Committee on Appropriations and also a member of the House of Representatives Committee on Power. He was appointed in 2001 to serve as a member of a committee set up by former President Olusegun Obasanjo to review Nigeria’s budgetary process.
On his return to the electoral contest in 2015, Senator Barau contested for senate seat and won the election. He is representing Kano North Senatorial District. He was appointed the Vice – Chairman Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream) of the Senate, and subsequently became the Chairman of the same Committee.
He was re-assigned to the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETfund as the Chairman of the Committee. He served as a Member of the Committee on Niger Delta, Industries, Land Transportation and Appropriations. Senator Barau is also the Secretary of Northern Senators Forum.
Since 2015, Senator Barau has initiated and executed almost uncountable interventions and projects in both his constituency and other parts of Kano State, which has directly impacted the lives of the common people positively. Some of the projects and programs he has successfully implemented include the construction of the multi-billion naira Kabuga- Dayi Road, the establishment of Kabo Federal Polytechnic, the construction of access roads in all the 13 local governments of Kano North, the construction of five (5) General Hospitals in Kano North, securing employment for a total of 1,459 youths in both state and federal levels as well as empowering thousands of women and youths in different trades. He also donated 18 patrol motor vehicles to Kano state police Command.
An active senator from Kano who has sponsored bills and motions with unequal legislative experience, Senator Maliya has all requisite knowledge to lead the red chamber, as he is willing to carry everybody along irrespective of political parties, religion, ethnic and language differences.
It’s on public lips that the nation’s National Assembly is in dire need of reform that will have a far-reaching positive impact on the lives of Nigerians. With him as the nation’s number three citizen the far-reaching change can be possible because he can handle the multifaceted future challenges in the Senate. Senator Barau Jibril is the only senator of the APC stock from Kano State that is returning to the 10th National Assembly. Barau Jibrin possesses the leadership qualities and experiences to stir the ship of the Senate.
He has built bridges across party lines and cultivated the positive attitude in the senate for him to be considered. Even though, so many factors will come into play on the floor of the Senate when it comes to the leadership consideration, Maliya belongs to everyone in the senate. He commands lots of respect from his colleagues as a ranking member. That is why it would be difficult to find him wanting because he’s a grassroots mobilizer.
Senator Barau CON worked briefly in the accounting department of the Kano State Foundation, before he resigned in 1992 to begin his private business with vast interests in the manufacturing, insurance and the construction sectors of the Nigerian economy. His success in the private sector prepared him adequately to begin a process of championing the cause of his people through the instrumentality of politics.
Abu Mahmud writes in from Dutse
