* Fails to swear in Governor Ayade’s former legislative aide as a Senator

By Henry Umoru

PRESIDENT of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan Tuesday swore in the immediate past Governor of Bayelsa State, Henry Seriake Dickson, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP to represent Bayelsa West in the Senate.

Also sworn in as Senators were Cleopas Moses, PDP, Bayelsa Central; Michael Adetokunbo Abiru, All Progressives Congress, APC, Lagos East and Professor Nora Ladi Dabu’t, APC, Plateau South.

The new Senators were sworn in yesterday at exactly 11:04am shortly after the commencement of plenary.

The oath of office and allegiance were administered on the Senators by the Clerk of the Senate, Ibrahim El- Ladan  during plenary.

While Senator Seriake replaced Senator Lawrence  Ewhrudjakpo; Senator Cleopas is replacing Senator Diri Douye; Senator Abiru is replacing late Adebayo Osinowo and Dadu’t replacing late Ignatius Longjan who represented Lagos East and Plateau South before their demise in 2019 and 2020, respectively.

The President of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan however refused to swear in the Senator- elect for Cross River North Senatorial District, Stephen Odey.

ALSO READ: Northern elders flay disruption of peace summit, attack on participants in Kaduna

Odey had arrived the National Assembly complex as early as 8am with supporters from Cross River State in anticipation for the swearing.

Odey who was the Senior Legislative Aide, SLA to Governor Ben Ayade as a Senator in the 7th Senator, was however disappointed when his name was not mentioned as one of those to take oath of office.

Abiru, Born on March 25, 1964, served as the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Polaris Bank Limited until his resignation on August 24, 2020, to contest the Lagos East senatorial bye-election on the platform of the APC.

Abiru was also the Executive Director at First Bank Nigeria Ltd from 2013 to 2016, and served as the Honourable Commissioner of Finance, Lagos State, from 2011 to 2013 under the leadership of then Lagos Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola.

Professor Nora Daduut, born 10th May, 1953, until her election was the head of the French Department of the University of Jos.

With the swearing-in, the number of All Progressives Congress, APC, Senators now stand at 63 while PDP now has 45 Senators.

Vanguard News Nigeria