Despite being vocal on the floor of the Senate, former National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Adams Oshiomhole is yet to sponsor a bill. Along with his colleagues, the former Edo State governor was sworn in in the red chamber of the National Assembly on 13 June 2023. He is a first timer in the Senate.
Fourteen other Senators are in the same league with the former President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, who represents Edo North district. They include immediate past Senate President, Senator Ahmad Lawan, the longest serving member of the National Assembly. Representing Yobe North, Lawan was first elected into the House of Representatives at the onset of the Fourth Republic in 1999 by Bade/Jakusko Federal Constituency. He was a member of the now defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and served two terms. In 2007, he was elected Senator on the platform of the same political party. With the ANPP and other political parties merging to form APC ahead of the 2015 elections, Lawan was elected on the ticket of the then new party in 2015.
According to a recently released data analysis, produced by foremost independent parliamentary monitoring organisation, OrderPaper, former Zamfara State Governor, Senator Abdul’aziz Abubakar Yari (APC Zamfara West); and his counterpart in Plateau State, Senator Simon Bako Lalong (APC Plateau South) are also in the infamous list. Both are first term Senators.
In June 2023, Yari contested and lost the Senate Presidency despite being a first-timer in the red chamber. Lalong, who was initially appointed Minister of Labour and Employment in August 2023 by President Bola Tinubu, won his Senate seat through the legal process last November.
Other senators who are yet to sponsor a bill are: Amos Yohanna, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) representing Adamawa North; Victor Umeh of the Labour Party (LP), representing Anambra Central; Samaila Kaila (PDP Bauchi North); Abdul Ningi (PDP Bauchi Central); Ani Okorie (APC Ebonyi South); Neda Imasuen (LP Edo South); and Kelvin Chizoba (LP Enugu East); Muntari Dandutse (APC Katsina South); Jiya Ndalikali (APC Niger South); Onyesoh Allwell (PDP Rivers East); and Hannah Manu (PDP Taraba Central).
For the House of Representatives, 80 of the 360 members do not have any bill to their names. On the contrary, Deputy Speaker, Hon. Benjamin Kalu (APC Bende Federal Constituency of Abia State) has sponsored the highest number of bills (85). He is trailed by Hon. Saidu Abdullahi (APC Bida/Gbako/Katcha, Niger State) with 26 bills, and Hon. Waive Francis (PDP Ughelli North/Ughelli South, Delta State) with 24 bills.
Top performers in the Senate include Chief Whip, Senator Tahir Monguno (APC Borno North) with 23 bills; Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin (APC Kano North) 22 biils; Senator Majority Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (APC Ekiti Central) 17 bills; former Ogun State Governor, Senator Gbenga Daniel (APC Ogun East) with 13 bills; and Asuquo Ekpeyong (APC Cross River South) also with 13 bills.
In the House of Representatives, which has 16 female members, seven of them initiated bills in their first year in office. Hon. Miriam Onuoha (APC Isiala Mbano/Okigwe/Onuimo, Imo State) topped the list by sponsoring 23 bills.
Others are: Deputy Chief Whip; Hon. Adewunmi Onanuga (APC, Ikenne/Sagamu/Remo North, Ogun) with six bills; Hon. Kalifat Ogbara (APC, Kosofe, Lagos), five bills; Hon. (Prof.) Lilian Obiageli Orogbu (LP, Awka North/Awka South, Anambra State), two bills (both second reading); Hon. Amadi Blessing Chigeru (PDP Port Harcourt II, Rivers) two bills; Hon. Tolulope Akande-Sadipe (APC Oluyole), one bill; and Hon. Boma Goodhead (PDP Akuku-Toru/Asari-Toru, Rivers), also one bill.
The Senate has only four female members in its 109-seat chamber. And all of them have bills in their names, led by Senator Ipalibo Banigo Harry (PDP Rivers West) who has sponsored 11 bills. Senator Idiat Adebule (APC Lagos West) has four bills, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP Kogi Central) has two bills, while Senator Ireti Kinbigbe (LP FCT) has sponsored one bill.
Top 10 young members of the House of Representatives who sponsored bills within the period include Hon. Manu Soro (PDP Darazo/Ganjuwa, Bauchi State) with 23 bills, Oluseun Whingan (APC Badagry, Lagos State) with 19 bills, Muktar Shagaya (APC Ilorin West/Asa, Kwara State), and Uchenna Okonkwo (LP Idemili North/IIdemili South, Anambra State).
Other areas covered by the report include bills by Senate and House of Representatives’ Presiding/Principal Officers, Climate Change/Ecology bills in both chambers, Gender/Social Inclusion bills in the two chambers, and Anti-Corruption bills in the Senate and the House of Representatives.
