THISDAY Awards: Nominees for Senator of the Year

Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan

Born December 9, 1979, Senator Natasha Hadiza Akpoti-Uduaghan represents Kogi Central in the Senate. She was recently named Senate committee chairman on local content, and concurrently appointed vice chairman of the committee on steel.

Radical and principled, that she is in leadership positions in both very important committees, attests to her qualities and capabilities.

She canvassed the rechristening of the Federal College of Education (FCE), Okene, after the Ohinoyi of Ebiraland, Ado Ibrahim. Akpoti-Uduaghan also advocated the resuscitation of the moribund Ajaokuta Steel Project located in Kogi central.

 Solomon Adeola

Currently representing Ogun West in the Senate, Senator Solomon Adeola had previously served as the Senator from Lagos West from 2015 to 2023.

Named the chairman, Senate committee on appropriations of the 10th senate on 8 August 2023, Solomon, who is aspiring to be the next governor of Ogun State was born on August10, 1969.

Yayi as he is popularly called, served as chairman of Public Account Committee of the House of Representatives (2011-2015), pioneer chairman of Senate committee on Local Content (2017-2019), and chairman of Senate Committee on Finance (2019-2023).

Ireti Kingibe

Seventy-one years old Senator Ireti Kingibe, was born on June 2. Against all odds, she defeated Senator Phillip Aduda in the 2023 senatorial election in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Ireti, who was elected on the platform of Labour Party is the chairman, Senate Committee on Women Affairs.

She joined the Labour Party in 2022 and became the FCT senatorial candidate for the 2023 general election. Before the elections, she had pledged her basic salary to a special fund to tackle infrastructure deficits in the rural communities within the nation’s capital.

Adams Oshiomhole

A former governor of Edo State from 2008 to 2016, Oshiomhole had previously served as the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress from 1999 to 2007.

Seventy-three, Oshiomhole represents Edo North senatorial district in the Red Chamber, and had served as the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), before his current job.

Early in the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo he negotiated a 25 per cent wage increase for public sector workers. In return, he publicly supported Obasanjo and endorsed his candidacy when he was re-elected in 2003.

The textile workers’ union elected Oshiomhole for a second term as General Secretary, while he continued as president of the NLC.

Ali Ndume

One of the longest serving senators from Borno State, Ali Ndume is the senator representing Borno South senatorial district since 2011. In 2003, Ndume, 66, was elected to represent the people of Chibok/Damboa/Gwoza Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives on the platform of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), between  2003 and 2011.

Ndume was the Senate Majority leader from 2015 to 2017. He was impeached by APC Senators on 10 January 2017. He was elected chief whip of the 10th Senate on 4 July 2023. Ndume was also removed as chief whip by Senate President Godswill Akpabio on 17 July 2024, following a letter written by the APC National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, to the Senate president demanding the removal of Ndume as chief whip.

Ndume has moved several Motions and sponsored several Bills in the Parliament, including the Constituencies Development Fund Bill and Electoral Act Amendment Bill that enabled Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to vote in 2015 elections