Between Bukola Saraki and Babajide Omoworare: Implementing Senate’s e-Parliament

Recently, the Senate President and Chairman of the National Assembly, Senator Bukola Saraki officially inaugurated the Senator Babajide Omoworare representing Osun East Senatorial District at the Upper Chambers of the National Assembly as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Business, one of the most powerful committees of the legislature as its responsibilities being the ‘engine room’ or ‘power house’ of the Senate involves the scheduling of the day to day order of motions, bills and other matters of/for legislative deliberations and debate on the floor.

Without any doubt, this as well as other committee appointments made by the Senate President since his assumption of office seem to be a case of precisely round pegs in round holes. Visibly, the choice of Senator Samuel Anyanwu as head of the Committee on Ethics and Privileges and Senator Ibrahim Gobir as chairman of the Committee on Senate Services are pointers. They are indeed without the least political sentiments but rather speak volumes about the confidence in the competence and ability of these distinguished personalities.

The young vibrant lawyer and legislator, Babajide Christopher Omoworare known within the ranks of senators as the ‘APC Attacker’ due to his strengths in marshalling his arguments during debates while he and his party, the All Progressives Congress served in opposition in the course of the 7^th Assembly, is indeed qualified for this position as his legislative experience spans wide having served as an honourable member and subsequently Majority leader of the Lagos State House of Assembly between 1999 and 2007, head of the African Bureau for Legislative Empowerment and Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Federal Character of the 7^th Senate under the astute leadership of the late Senator Dawisu Kuta as Chairman.

The new responsibilities of the smart chubby senator is one in which a lot of other senators have to lobby him to include their motions and bills in the Legislative Order Paper and Notice Paper. Personally, I am not surprised at the fact that the committee he leads alongside the Leader of the House, Senate Ali Ndume as Vice Chairman and Senators Uche Ekwunife, Kabir Marafa Garba, Joshua Lidani, Barnabas Gemade, David Umaru, and Clifford Ordia as members have taken on the challenge of the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki to move the 8th Senate towards E – Parliament.

Reports are rife within the Red Chambers that the Osun East Senator didn’t lobby for the Committee but only found himself as Rules and Business Committee Chairman based on the Senate Leadership’s belief in him as the one with the capacity and capability to see its lofty agenda through. This comes with an advantage; he comes into the chairmanship position with the ears and commitments of the Senate President as well as a free hand to do the right things which might include stepping on a few toes in order to succeed in the assignment.

– ‘Demola Adeyeye, an incumbent member of the Nigerian Youth Parliament