See The ‘Senator For Life’ Who Will Not Be In The 9th Senate

A Nigerian Senator who boasted two years ago that he would remain in the Senate for life “until death do us part”, will not be joining senators in the 9th Senate.

Senator Bukar Abba Ibrahim, representing Yobe East senatorial district in Yobe State, made the statement during a plenary session of the Senate in 2017.

“We are very grateful to God and to all Nigerians. Let me categorically say, Mr. Senate President, that I will stay in the Senate until death do us part,” Ibrahim said during a debate regarding Nigeria’s 57th anniversary.

“Everybody tells me that I’m Senator for life. I’m going to be in the Senate for life,” said the Senator.

He was alleged to be taking an indirect dig at the incumbent Governor of Yobe State, Ibrahim Gaidam, who was allegedly planning to run for the Senate seat after the expiration of his second tenure.

Senator Ibrahim, who is currently a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), had served as two-term governor of Yobe State between 1999 to 2007. He was first elected governor from January 1992 to November 1993, shortly after Yobe state was created.

He ran and won the state’s governorship in 1999 and was re-elected in 2003 for a second four-year term as governor of the state which elapsed in 2007. 

After expiration of his term as governor, the 70-year-old ran and won election to represent Yobe East constituency in the Senate in 2007. He won re-election in the 2011 senatorial election.

 In 2015, Senator Ibrahim defeated PDP’s Abba Gana Tata to win the seat in the 8th Senate.

Senator Ibrahim’s ambition to be “senator for life” was however derailed by the ambition of his state governor to take over his seat in the Senate after his tenure ends in May 29 this year.

Governor Gaidam forced Senator Ibrahim to concede the Yobe East senatorial district ticket to him, after getting the support the leadership of the APC to run for the seat.

After backing out of the race, the lawmaker was said to have insisted that “he is into politics for life” as he would continue to offer himself for service to the people of Yobe State whether he is in or out of government.