Daniel: Competent, Experienced Senator Will Emerge 10th Senate President

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

A former governor of Ogun State, who has been elected to represent Ogun East Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, has assured Nigerians that only competent and experienced individuals would be elected to run the affairs of the 10th Senate.

He also said the senators-elect were people of means and integrity, who would not be pushed about to make decisions based on bribery and sentiments.

Daniel, who gave the assurance yesterday in Abuja during an interactive session with journalists, also said the incoming 10th National Assembly would not constitute itself as an opposition institution to the executive arm of government that would be led by Bola Tinubu.

Daniel explained that the executive arm of government would achieve a lot in the overall interest of Nigerians if it enjoyed the cooperation and support of the legislature and the judiciary.

He said, “The legislative process is not an executive function. The strength of the process is that consensus can be rated. With the best of intentions, someone told me your network is your net worth. It is about getting a network. Both the executive and legislature must create networks. 

“The people that have been elected into the 10th National Assembly represent the people and people say a ‘people deserve the government it gets’. If we go and elect a rogue, because you took his money, you have to stand in front of the mirror to find out what’s going on. 

“I’m not a member of the Ninth Senate but there is a school of thought that says the Ninth Senate probably achieves more than the Senate before it due to its collaboration with the executive.

“Let’s begin to look at empirical evidence. It was during the Ninth Senate that the Petroleum Industry Bill was passed and signed. It was the same Senate that gave us the electoral reform.

“I am not one of those that think the Senate should be the leader of opposition for the executive. Don’t forget that they are all members of the same party,” he said.