Saraki Swears In Newly Elected APC Senator

 

The Senate

The Senate president gave this admonition during the inauguration rites and swearing-in of Garbai on Wednesday, November 4, Vanguard reports.
Garbai was said to have been sworn in by Senator Saraki shortly after votes and proceeding of the previous legislate date was adopted by the upper chamber.

Announcing the senatorial bye-election results, Prof Mohammed Fannami of the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) said: “Having fulfilled all the election requirements of the bye-election, Baba Kaka Garbai of APC has been declared winner of the election by polling a total votes of 120,639 votes while Bolori came second with 32,346 votes from the eight local councils.”

The commission declared that the APC candidate polled 75 per cent votes in the by-election, leaving the Peoples Democratic Party candidate with about 20 per cent.
In the Senate president’s congratulatory speech to Garbai on his victory at the poll, he added that the 8th Senate being conscious of the challenges ahead of it was working towards re-positioning itself to meet the tasks.
Saraki challenged the new senator to brace up for the tasks.
Meanwhile, The Guardian reports that the PDP in Borno state rejected the bye-election results of the INEC in which Garbai of APC was declared winner by the commission’s returning officer, Prof Fannami.
The PDP flag bearer, Bolori, alleged that the Saturday bye-election was not “free and fair,” as agents of six political parties were however ‘harassed and intimidated’ by the police and members of Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) at voting centres and police stations.
He said: “The Saturday election was not fair, not free and not properly conducted by INEC. We, therefore, on these grounds, will simply challenge it in the court of law. Our concern is that this is the first election under President Buhari’s administration; and if they cannot conduct free and fair election in a single senatorial district, the forthcoming elections in Bayelsa and Kogi states may not be credibly conducted freely and fair.”
Having been declared winner and sworn in at the Senate, APC senator will be replacing Senator Ahmed Zannah who died shortly after inauguration of the 8th Senate.
Meanwhile, the Senate has announced the chairmen of the various committees in the upper chamber today, November 4. The announcement was made by the Senate president, Bukola Saraki, who charged the committee chairmen on the need to carry out their oversight effectively.