Former Senator Says Ex-Governors Use Senate to Avoid Accountability

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A former senator from Kwara Central, Ibrahim Oloriegbe, has claimed that many ex-governors take up Senate seats as a way to retire and shield themselves from anti-corruption investigations.

Oloriegbe, who is seeking to be the All Progressives Congress candidate for governor, said many former governors find it hard to meet the demands of legislative work. This makes it difficult for them to represent their constituencies effectively and deliver necessary benefits.

The ex-lawmaker, who served in the Ninth National Assembly, shared these views on Monday in a popular WhatsApp group called The Kwara Tabloid. The discussion was sparked by a viral post about the anticipated senatorial ambition of Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, whose term ends in May 2027.

In response to claims that AbdulRazaq’s time as governor makes him a good fit for the Senate, Oloriegbe said the skills needed for executive roles differ from those for legislative positions. “Are you going to vote in Kwara Central to tell us about our choice? The capacity, capabilities and skill required for legislative work are different for an executive position,” he wrote.

Oloriegbe emphasized that senators cannot hand off key legislative tasks like executives do with their aides and commissioners. Lawmakers need to be present at plenary sessions and committee meetings, engage in discussions, and form bonds with other lawmakers to bring benefits to their areas.

“One of such is that you cannot delegate legislative duties; you must attend plenary and committee meetings personally. You must speak and speak loudly because it is a debating house. You must network because it is a house of equals and a house where you need others to get things done,” he said.

The former senator pointed out that effective representation also means staying connected with the people they represent. “You must be accessible to your constituents; answer their calls, respond to their requests and needs, etc. And more that space will not allow me to state now,” he said.

Drawing from his time in the Senate, Oloriegbe noted that many ex-governors struggle to transition from positions where they have a lot of power to one where influence comes from participation, persuasion, and teamwork. “From my experience in the Senate, most governors perform poorly because the legislative systems do not fit what they are used to.

“Most of them use the position as a retirement place and a place to protect themselves from anti-corruption agencies. Unfortunately, it is their constituencies that bear the consequences,” he explained.

Oloriegbe shared his experience as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health in the Ninth Assembly. He mentioned that four former governors were on the committee, but only one, Ibrahim Shekarau from Kano State, regularly attended meetings. “Let me give two examples to illustrate this. I had four former governors as members of my Senate Committee on Health; only one of them attended our meetings, that is HE Senator Ibrahim Shekarau,” he said.

He attributed Shekarau’s attendance to what he called the former governor’s modest approach and political style. “He attends because he is socialist in orientation and lifestyle. Despite being an eight-year governor and a former minister, he was living in a rented property while in the 9th Senate,” he noted.

Oloriegbe said when senators do not take part in committee activities, it can directly impact their communities. “For those that don’t attend or participate in the committee meetings and activities, they don’t get the benefits from the committee such as employment opportunities, projects in the budget,” he said. “This is a loss to their constituencies.”

He also recalled being on another Senate committee headed by a former governor who he did not name. He accused the ex-governor of leaving most work to the deputy. “Another example is a committee whose chairman was a former governor. The chairman completely delegated the activities to his deputy. It is whatever the deputy reports to him that he knows or gets to his constituency,” he said.

Oloriegbe claimed his constituency gained more from the committee's work than that of the chairman due to his active involvement. “I was a member of that committee and I got more benefits to my constituency than the chairman got because the chairman cared less,” he said. “Who suffered? His constituency, of course.”

He added that legislative work requires lawmakers to spend a lot of time going through bills, government proposals, and other important documents. “In addition, a legislator is expected to read and review many documents,” he said. “Because the offices are not funded to recruit qualified and competent assistants, many don’t do justice to the documents; hence, they cannot act appropriately on the documents.”

“This leads to poor oversight on the executive. The consequence of this is on the constituents,” Oloriegbe concluded.

His remarks come as political activities rise around the Kwara Central senatorial seat ahead of the 2027 general election. The competition is likely to draw attention since AbdulRazaq might seek the seat after his term as governor.

The current senator, Saliu Mustapha, who heads the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Production Services and Rural Development, is confident he will keep his seat with the Peoples Democratic Party. Mustapha recently stated on Channels Television that he will defeat AbdulRazaq before noon on election day.