In a late-night announcement on Monday, Senator Godswill Akpabio unveiled the Chairmen and Vice Chairmen of the seventy-four Standing Committees of the Nigerian Senate. The distribution of chairmanship positions among various parties has showcased the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the dominant holder of these roles.
The APC secured fifty chairmanship positions, emphasizing its continued influence within the Senate. Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) clinched eighteen chairmanship positions, followed by the Labour Party (LP) with four positions, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) with two positions, and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) with one position, which was assigned to Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe of Abia South, who will head the Power Committee.
Despite having two senators, the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) was unable to secure any Committee chairman positions.
The current composition of the Senate is as follows: the APC holds fifty-nine Senators, the PDP has thirty-six Senators, the LP has eight Senators, the NNPP has two Senators, the SDP has two Senators, while the APGA and Young Progressives Party (YPP) each have one Senator.
Key Committees chaired by the APC include Appropriations, Senate Services, Interior, Defence, Army, Constitution Review, Finance, Aviation, Agriculture, Marine Transport, FCT, and Foreign Affairs. Other prominent Committees under APC chairmanship encompass Banking, Insurance, Judiciary, Downstream Petroleum, Local and Foreign Debts, Navy, INEC, National Security and Intelligence, Inter-Parliamentary Affairs, and Privatisation, among others.
Senator Akpabio revealed some notable appointments, highlighting that the Constitution Amendment Committee would be chaired by Deputy Senate President Senator Barau Jibrin of APC, Kano North. Notable chairmen within the APC include Adams Oshiomhole for Interior, Jide Ipisagba for Downstream Petroleum, Ahmad Lawan for Defence, Abdulfatai Buhari for Aviation, Osita Izunaso for Capital Market, Cyril Fasuyi for Establishment and Public Services, Olamilekan Solomon Adeola for Appropriations, and Musa Mohammed Sani for Finance.
From other parties, Senator Godiya Akwashiki of SDP, Nasarawa North, will chair Airforce; Udende Emmanuel of PDP will head Anti Corruption and Financial Crimes; Seriake Dickson of PDP will oversee Ecology and Climate Change; Aminu Tambuwal of PDP will lead Housing and Urban Development; Ahmed Aliyu Wadada of SDP will manage Public Accounts; Neda Imasuen of LP will handle Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions; Victor Umeh of LP will take care of Diaspora and NGO; Dankwambo Ibrahim of PDP will oversee Drugs and Narcotics; Diket Plang of PDP will chair Employment and Productivity; and Lawan Adamu Usman of PDP will manage Education Basic and Secondary.
With this announcement, the Senate committees are poised to undertake various legislative responsibilities, contributing to the governance and development of Nigeria across numerous sectors.
