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MEET THE NEW SENATE PRESIDENT- ABUBAKAR BUKOLA SARAKI

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Senator
Abubakar Bukola Saraki representing Kwara central senatorial district of Kwara
state has emerged the president of the Senate, against all odds. Saraki was
nominated for the position of senate president by senator from Zamfara west
senatorial district. He was thereafter declared elected senate president
unopposed as no other senator was nominated on June 9, 2015. Saraki’s unopposed
emergence came as a surprise to all observers considering that senator Ahmed
Lawan from Bauchi had been the favorite of the All Progressives Congress (APC)
to emerge senate president. Lawan was not even nominated on the floor of the
house.
Dr. Abubakar
Bukola Saraki’s political career began when he was appointed Special Assistant
to President Olusegun Obasanjo on Budget in 2000.While holding this position;
he initiated the Fiscal Responsibility Bill and served on the Economic Policy
Coordination Committee, where he was responsible for the formulation and
implementation of several key economic policies for Nigeria.

In 2003, he
ran for the office of the Executive Governor of Kwara State on the platform of
the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and won. He was sworn into office in May
2003. He ran again for re-election in 2007 and won his second term. As governor
of Kwara, he led reforms in agriculture, health, education, finance and
environment policy. One of his major achievements was inviting displaced white
farmers from Zimbabwe to Kwara State and offering them an opportunity to farm.
This led to the establishment of Shonga Farms programme, which is now being
replicated across Nigeria. His charisma among his fellow governors got him
appointed as Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum.
Abubakar
Bukola Saraki was born on 19 December 1962 to the family of Olusola Saraki, a one-time 
Senate Leader (1979 – 1983) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He attended
King’s College, Lagos, from 1973 to 1978, and Cheltenham College, Cheltenham,
London from 1979 to 1981 for his High School Certificate. He then studied at
the London Hospital Medical College of the University of London from 1982 to
1987, when he obtained his M.B.B.S (London). He worked as a Medical Officer at
Rush Green Hospital, Essex, from 1988 to 1989. He was a Director of Societe
Generale Bank (Nig) Ltd from 1990 to 2000.
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