26 Years of Unbroken Democracy:  Public Office Holders With Legislative, Executive Experience

In the 26 years of unbroken democratic rule in Nigeria, certain individuals have had the rare privilege of serving in both the executive and legislative branches of government. While some in this class have distinguished records of service, others have barely marked time, occupied space and warmed benches. Adedayo Akinwale spotlights this category of present and past public officials 

Since 1999, Nigerians have elected thousands of politicians to serve them in the executive and legislature at the national and sub-national levels of government. During these 26 years, hundreds of politicians have passed through the national and state assemblies and transitioned to the executive branch as governors, ministers, commissioners, chairpersons and members of statutory boards. Several hundred others have also transitioned from the executive to the legislature, serving as senators and members of the national and state assemblies. This phenomenon creates a distinct group of political actors whose influence on Nigeria’s democratic governance trajectory has to be accurately recorded and documented in the annals of history.

Most of these public officials have served (or are serving) in the national and state assemblies. A smaller number have been state governors and members of the federal cabinet. Only five have served as presidents, including the incumbent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

As the country marks 26 years of unbroken civilian rule this June, the contributions of this group of public officials to nation-building, socio-economic growth, and development deserve to be recorded for posterity. OrderPaper Nigeria, the country’s leading parliamentary monitoring organisation and policy think tank based in Abuja, is undertaking this vital work. According to Oke Epia, the founder and chief executive officer, the essence is to enhance the country’s policy ecosystem by conferring recognition on those who have served with honour and distinction in both branches of government.

He said the recognitions are being processed and conferred under the auspices of the Initiative for Celebrating Outstanding National Statespersons (ICONS) programme. President Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, and First Lady Remi Tinubu stand out with their big shoes in this class. Senate President Godswill Akpabio and eleven incumbent state governors – Uba Sani of Kaduna, Duoye Diri of Bayelsa, Umar Fintiri of Adamawa, Umar Bago of Niger, Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi, Sheriff Oborovwori of Delta, Bassey Otu of Cross River, Ademola Adeleke of Osun, Hope Uzodima of Imo, Bala Mohammed of Bauchi, and Monday Okpebholo- belong in this class even though they have differing impact in public service. Twenty-two members of the Tinubu cabinet, including Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila, and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) George Akume, also belong to the class.  A horde of former governors, deputy governors, former ministers, former speakers, senators and house members also belong in this class. 

According to him, the ICONS programme has been designed to spotlight the best of the best in the distinct class of leaders who have delivered remarkable public service in both the Legislative and Executive branches of Government since 1999. “It shines the spotlight on leaders who have served in both the Legislature and the Executive and have demonstrated excellence, patriotism, and purposeful public service. It aims to document their legacies and inspire future generations,” he said. The recognition has three core elements, viz: the ICONS Book of Records, a luxury limited edition publication featuring in-depth profiles of 50 members of the class who have unarguably distinguished themselves; the ICONS Digital Repository, a curated personal webpage for each ICON, hosted on a visually rich, celebratory platform that showcases their legislative and executive records among other public service achievements; and the ICONS Awards & Gala Night, an exclusive black-tie event to celebrate ICONS with tokens of awards and other mementoes.

According to Mr. Epia, “ICONS are a distinct class of leaders whose footprints exemplify performance, purpose, and patriotism. The programme is conceived and executed by OrderPaper Nigeria as part of our institutional commitment to democratic consolidation and historical documentation.

“In the first stage of this initiative, we identified over 350 individuals who have traversed the Legislature and Executive branches of the government since 1999 for consideration based on a wide range of qualitative and performance metrics. Following subsequent screenings and advisory consultations, the number will be pruned to a final shortlist of 50 distinguished individuals who will make the premier Limited Edition of the Book of Records, Digital Repository and be celebrated at the prestigious Gala/Dinner Night.

“Nomination and participation automatically make nominees valued members of Nigeria’s ICONS community, who share a legacy of transformational leadership, exemplary public service, and enduring contributions to democratic governance. This exclusive network offers opportunities for continued engagement, peer recognition, collaborative initiatives, and access to high-level policy dialogues aimed at shaping the future of Nigeria’s democracy.”

He said the ICONS programme is based on a string of successes recorded by OrderPaper’s signature work in policy-making. From its inimitable annual performance appraisals of legislators to the unprecedented Most Valuable Parliamentarian (MVP) Hall of Fame recognition to the ICONS, OrderPaper has demonstrated immense capacity and excellence in defining public service monitoring and recognition. The think-tank has been recognised by global organisations, including the Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU), the International Parliamentary Engagement Network (IPEN) hosted by the University of Leeds, United Kingdom, and the African Parliamentary Monitoring Organisations Network (APMON). Successive leadership of the National Assembly have endorsed OrderPaper and its approach and achievements from the 8th to the current 10th Assembly, which describes OrderPaper as “one of Africa’s foremost independent parliamentary monitoring organisations,” with a “strengthened commitment to advancing legislative accountability, civic engagement, and good governance through data-driven insights, policy analysis, and comprehensive coverage of legislative activities.”

According to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon, Tajudeen Abbas, OrderPaper is a “forward-thinking institution contributing to the growth of our democracy. The 10th House values principled civic engagement and affirms its commitment to transparency, inclusion, and excellence in lawmaking. We believe in building strong democratic institutions, and partners like OrderPaper play a vital role in strengthening the social contract between the people and their parliament.”

The ICONS programme has been causing quite a stir in the political class as Nigeria’s leadership elite reel out their records as OrderPaper engages data-driven methodologies to separate the boys from the men in this pan-Nigerian and non-partisan effort to curate a legacy of service that truly counts.