The nation has finally chosen a Senate president and the former Kwara state governor, Senator Bukola Saraki has been given the mantle to lead the Senate.
This move has been causing rifts in the seemingly unbreakable All Progressives Congress, with many members’ loyalty being questioned.
Here are some facts you don’t know about the new Senate president.
1. He was born in 19 December, 1962, and is originally a medical doctor.
2. His father is Dr. Abubakar Olusola Saraki, a one time Senate president (1979 – 1983) in Nigeria.
3. He studied medicine at the London Hospital Medical College of the University of London from 1982 to 1987 and practiced as a medical doctor at Rush Green Hospital in London.
4. His political career kick started when he was appointed by the former president Olusegun Obasanjo his special assistant on budget issues in 2000.
5. He was the one who initiated the Fiscal Responsibility Bill and served on the Economic Policy Coordination Committee.
6. On 2003 under the umbrella of the then ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party, he ran for and won the governorship of Kwara state.
7. He was Kwara state governor for two terms, from 2003 till 2011, and had mostly positive reviews of his job.
8. He was the first Nigerian governor to be awarded the national honour, a Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON).
9. Many governors have tried to copy Saraki’s community health insurance scheme, environmental ‘Clean and Green’ scheme and agricultural transformation scheme, which have been praised as one of the reasons Kwara is a profitable and clean state.
10. Before becoming a senator, he was the former chairman of the Nigerian Governor’s Forum.
Saraki’s fierce opponent, Senator Ahmed Lawan of Borno state who won the APC domestic polls, was not nominated.
Ike Ekweremadu and Ali Ndume are now the contenders for the deputy Senate presidency position.