In the last seven years plus, I have covered the National Assembly as an accredited journalist. In those years I have witnessed the inauguration of both the 9th and 10th assemblies. I have also witnessed the politics of leadership emergence and creation in Nigeria’s apex parliament.
Beyond the decadent percieved corruption and seemingly uncomplimentary image of the NASS in the eyes of an average Nigerian, that institution, the First Arm of the Nigerian Government actually works and it works in ways only very determined and competent individuals get thrown up for leadership or principal positions.
In the National Assembly, the unspoken mantra is the “longer the better,” this ideology is the premise of the concept of “ranking.” And this is the unspoken practice in most parliaments all over the world.
Since 2007, ranking lawmakers have held sway as leadership and principal officers of the National Assembly.
The idea of ranking means that the experiences garnered in the parliaments count as points for individual lawmakers in their suitability as presiding officers- the President of the Senate, Deputy President of the Senate; the Speaker of the House of Representatives and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives; or Principal Officers, Leader, Deputy Leader, Minority Leader, Deputy Minority Leader, Chief Whip, Deputy Chief Whip, Minority Whip and Deputy Minority Whip.
The ranking concept is the reason why politicians and lawmakers from Northern Nigeria are generally ahead of their colleagues from the Southern states in the National Assembly. In the North, most lawmakers stay in the parliament for an average of three tenures, this allows them all the opportunity to understand and navigate the system for the benefit of their constituencies. They attract major projects-quality roads, dams, major institutions and most importantly easily ascend leadership position in the parliament. Whereas, in South, especially the Southeast, the concept of turn-by-turn tend rip off the region with reckless abandon. In fact, most southern lawmakers want to quickly transcend to Senate or become governors of their states, just after one tenure in the House!
It is important, however, to understand that being repeatedly re-elected into the National Assembly also depends on the quality of the representation of the individual lawmaker, more than anything else.
Lawmakers who appeal to the electorate and not necessarily the “power brokers” in their states are more likely to be repeatedly re-elected other than those who believe that the power mongers hold the yam and the knife.
Ebonyi State has had a mixed bag of fortune in the last 20 years in the National Assembly, the state has had missed opportunities and misplaced opportunities, and methinks that we can do better now.
In the last few months, the lawmaker representing Ezza South/Ikwo Federal Constituency of Ebonyi State in the House of Representatives, Rt. Honourable Chinedu Ogah has been in the news for reasons that are hardly complimentary.
Whereas, Ogah is one of the shining lights of the state in the National Assembly by most parametres of effective representation, visibility, attention to constituency and availability. However, the lawmaker has faced a barrage of personality attacks, mostly from some sponsored social media users who seem to be determined to arrest the progress of that constituency.
In the past 20 years, Hon. Ogah has stood out as man who is goal-driven and focused. During the two-term tenure of Chief Martin Nwancho Elechi as the governor of Ebonyi State, Hon Ogah stood out for his activities in the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, his activities aptly earned him the National Honour of Officer of the Order of the Nigeria (OON), one of the very first for any young Ebonyian in public service.
His character however, got properly defined when Chief Elechi exited the Government House in 2015. While the allies and appointees of Chief Elechi who were seen as the major characters and beneficiaries of the Martin Elechi government without looking back quickly caved-in to the government of Chief David Umahi (most of those characters were reputed to have worked against their boss-Elechi, during the election), Hon Ogah maintained dignified silence and distance from the government. In fact, he took the bold step of joining the All Progressives Congress (APC) a party that had zero presence in the state then.
In 2019, he contested the House of Representatives seat, initially the PDP candidate was declared winner and subsequently inaugurated, but Hon Ogah fought through the election tribunal to the Appeal Court where he eventually won and the rest as they say is now history.
Fast forward to 2025/2026 the Ebonyi social media is awash with all manner of accusations, mostly unsubstantiated and mostly politically motivated, and from his home local government of Ikwo! Most of the accusations are mostly speculative as none of the accusers has ever properly authored any petition to the authorities with any scintilla of evidence.
This situation is appalling in that, those behind the unnecessary fracas may think that they are targetting Hon Ogah as an individual, but in the real sense of the situation, the state, yes Ebonyi State is the main target: Hon Ogah as a resiient politician and partyman has over the last six years grown in the maze that is National Assembly politics to the point that, if he is rather given the needed push he stands a good chance of joining the leadership of the National Assembly in the 11th NASS, and this will be to the eternal benefit of Ebonyi State.
Whereas, other states would treasure a personality of Ogah’s hue in the Green Chamber, in Ebonyi State, we seem to be rather contented with mediocrity and perpetual learnership! Imagine Ogah being replaced by a green horn whose only credential would be that he is close to some certain power brokers! It means that the Ezza South/Ikwo Federal Constituency will revert mopping around in the National Assembly once more.
In my considered opinion, I think that for the overall benefit and growth of our dear state, it time for our political leaders and power brokers to inculcate the culture of grooming leaders that can actually stand tall among their peers and in the enlightened best interest of the state.
The emergent culture of “philanthropism” which our new band of illitrate and unscrupulous government officials and government contractors are now using to distract our young people should be discouraged. Real philantropic gestures and engagement are institutional, not dolling out stolen money for the optics.
In the last 20 years in Ebonyi State, no philantropist has invested in any of our health and and educational or cultural facilities across the state. The Ebonyi State University (EBSU), Abakaliki has continuously diminished, yet none of the emergency philantropists has deemed it fit to adopt a faculty or department, none has institutionalised any prize that can inspire true scholarship and research. In our health sector the only gesture that can stand the test of time is the National Obstetric Fistula Centre engineered by former First Lady, Mrs. Josephine Elechi with the support of Senator Andrew Nwankwo.
Hon. Chinedu Ogah should be encouraged to push for greater portion of the cake because he stands a good chance and obviously has the acumen to do more. Those unjustly antagonising him, should rather consider partnership with him for greater possibilities.
Governor Ogbonna Nwifuru has in the last two and half-years shown that he acknowledges the importance of human capacity development, he should, therefore, guide the process for the proper placement of ndi Ebonyi without sentiments and emotions.
And for our young people who take pleasure in throwing all manner of unfounded shades at people in the name of “media aides,” if any man or woman can not help you to become independently economically engaged, such people are evil and dream-killers, RUN! While you banter on social media and proclaim fake philantropism, your so-called bosses are busy grooming their children to be respectful to all, including the people you are given peanuts to denigrate. Today, where are the media bandits, sorry media aides of the last eight years? A word should do it!
