Why I’ll never run for Senate – El-Rufai

Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State has explained why he would never contest election to the Senate to become a lawmaker like some of his colleagues in the country.

He said he does not have the patience to function in that capacity, adding that a lawmaker requires hard work, unlike the executive where decisions could be taken with the right to hire and fire.

Mr El-Rufai spoke at the Distinguished Parliamentarians Lecture 2022 organised by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) in Abuja on Monday.

He was the Chairman of the event.

“The legislature is one I know I cannot function, because I do not have the patience,” Mr El-Rufai, a former FCT minister, said.

The governor said in the National Assembly “everyone is equal and no leadership is more tasking than managing your equal. It’s the hardest job in this country.

“I know many of my colleagues are retiring to be legislators but I can assure you I will never retire to be a legislator.”

There are 14 former governors currently serving as senators.

Also, no fewer than eight serving governors are candidates in the 25 February senatorial election.

They are Simon Lalong (Plateau), Muhammed Badaru (Jigawa), Samuel Ortom (Benue), David Umahi (Ebonyi), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Darius Ishaku (Taraba), Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto) and Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia).

They are all completing their second term in office in May 2023.

Agenda for National Assembly

Mr El-Rufai also set agenda for the ninth National Assembly.

While praising the Assembly for passing some of the most important legislation in the history of Nigeria, the Kaduna governor asked the members to ensure the enactment of state and community policing law before their tenure expires in June 2023.
He said the current policing system in the country is not working.

According to him, Nigeria is the only country with a centralised policing system, and the National Assembly must ensure it enacts a new law to take care of the policing system in the country.

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He also said that Nigeria remained the only country with a unitary judiciary, adding that the National Assembly should ensure such was addressed before the expiration of its tenure.

He also urged the lawmakers to enact a law that would ensure it made the first 12 years of education free and compulsory from primary to secondary school.

According to Mr El-Rufai, Nigeria can never make progress without educating everyone in the country.

He said reforming the local government autonomy to make each local government flexible to meet the need of the state should also be the priority of the 9th assembly.

He said: “These are things that need some creative legislation by the 9th assembly and they must ensure these are achieved before it winds up in June.”

Commending the leadership of Ahmad Lawan, the Senate President and Femi Gbajabiamila, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, he said “the two are perhaps the most experienced legislators in the country.”

He said the lecture became necessary because the National Assembly was the most decapitated branch of government as it was usually dissolved whenever there was a coup.

“So this is why the lecture is important to continue to build capacity. There is a need to have this kind of interaction from time to time to make the legislature work better,” he said.

Responding, Mr Lawan said Mr El-Rufai’s remark on the right to hire and fire was not applicable to the lawmakers.

According to him, “this is a complete reversal because our colleagues hire and can fire us but my colleagues in the 9th assembly have been supporting us.”

(NAN)