The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, on Wednesday inaugurated four newly elected senators following their victories in the recent bye-elections conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The lawmakers sworn into office are Olaka Nwogu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), representing Rivers South East Senatorial District; Envulu Anza of the All Progressives Congress (APC), representing Nasarawa North Senatorial District; Ikeje Asogwu of the APC, representing Enugu North Senatorial District; and Dayo Faduyile of the APC, representing Ondo South Senatorial District.
Their inauguration came after the bye-elections held last Saturday to fill vacancies created by death and appointment in the affected constituencies.
Nwogu emerged as the senator representing Rivers South East following the death of former lawmaker Barinada Mpigi, which led INEC to declare the seat vacant.
In Nasarawa North, Anza secured victory to replace the late Godiya Akwaashiki, while Asogwu was elected to fill the seat previously occupied by the late Okechukwu Ezea in Enugu North.
Faduyile’s election into the Senate followed the appointment of former senator Jimoh Ibrahim as Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, creating a vacancy in Ondo South.
During the plenary session, the Clerk of the Senate, Emmanuel Odo, administered both the Oath of Allegiance and the Oath of Office to the four lawmakers before they formally took their seats in the Red Chamber.
Speaking shortly after the ceremony, Senate President Akpabio congratulated the new senators and welcomed them to what he described as “a family of the most elite club in the world.”
He urged the lawmakers to focus on promoting national development and reminded them that their responsibilities now extend beyond partisan interests.
According to him, their primary duty is to represent the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the people who elected them, rather than the political parties under which they contested.
Akpabio also encouraged the senators to familiarise themselves with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Senate Standing Orders as amended in 2023, noting that a proper understanding of both documents would help them effectively perform their legislative duties.
The swearing-in ceremony attracted several dignitaries, including the Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, as well as the Ondo State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Kayode Ajulo, among other government officials and political stakeholders.
