Heineken Lokpobiri | |
---|---|
![]() At a WEF special meeting in 2024 | |
Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil) | |
Assumed office 21 August 2023 Servingwith Ekperikpe Ekpo (Gas) | |
President | Bola Tinubu |
Minister | Bola Tinubu |
Preceded by | Timipre Sylva |
Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development | |
In office 11 November 2015 –28 May 2019 | |
President | Muhammadu Buhari |
Minister | Audu Ogbeh |
Preceded by | Bukar Tijani |
Succeeded by | Mustapha Baba Shehuri |
Senator for Bayelsa West | |
In office 5 June 2007 –6 June 2015 | |
Preceded by | John Kojo Brambaifa |
Succeeded by | Foster Ogola |
Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly | |
In office 2 June 1999 –May 2001 | |
Member of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly | |
In office 2 June 1999 –2 June 2003 | |
Personal details | |
Born | 3 March 1967 |
Political party | All Progressives Congress (2015–present) |
Other political affiliations | Peoples Democratic Party (1998–2015) |
Children | 4 |
Education | Rivers State University (LL.B) Leeds Beckett University |
Profession |
|
Heineken Lokpobiri (born 3 March 1967) is a Nigerian politician who is the minister of state for Petroleum Resources (Oil). [1] He previously served as minister of state for Agriculture and Rural Development from 2015 to 2019, [2] and as Senator representing Bayelsa West Senatorial District from 2007 to 2015. [3] He is a former speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly.
Heineken Lokpobiri received an LL.B (Hons) in 1994 from Rivers State University of Science and Technology, [4] Port Harcourt, BL February 1995.
Expert in Environmental Rights and Environmental Law, holds a Doctorate degree Ph.D. from Leeds Beckett University, UK in 2015. [3]
Lokpobiri was a member of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly from 1999 to 2003, and speaker of the house from June 1999 – May 2001. [5]
He was elected to the Nigerian Senate for the Bayelsa West constituency in 2007 and was appointed to committees on Sports, Public Accounts, Police Affairs, Niger Delta and Millennium Development Goals.
After Nigeria performed poorly at the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana, the Senate Sports Committee [6] of which Lokpobiri was chairman issued a report which cast blame on maladministration and lack of cooperation from the Director General of the National Sports Commission, Dr. Amos Adamu. [7] Lokpobiri was chairman of the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on Transport. In June 2009, after further sabotage of oil facilities by militants in the Niger Delta, he praised the Federal Government's amnesty, saying "With the current amnesty deal, I believe that both parties will go home satisfactory and the contractors will henceforth work in more stable environment and that will accelerate the pace of road construction in the region." [8]
In July 2009, the Senate passed the National Agency for Elderly Persons bill, sponsored by Lokpobiri, which will give legal support, welfare and recreational facilities to elderly people in the country. [9] In September 2009, the authorities of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) and the Federal Executive Council (FEC) announced approval of new land charges in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory. Senator Lokpobiri initiated a stormy debate when he accused the authorities of acting illegally by failing to first secure the approval of the National Council of States. [10]
Lokpobiri ran for reelection as Bayelsa West Senator in the April 2011 elections, on the PDP platform, and was initially declared the winner.
However, the Independent National Electoral Commission [11] (INEC) then withdrew their decision, declaring that the election was fraught with "widespread irregularities". [12] A few minutes after the announcement, Lokpobiri was arrested by State Security Service operatives. [13] [14]
Lokpobiri challenged the INEC decision. The INEC had planned to rerun the election in Sagbama and Ekeremor local governments on 28 April 2011, but a high court in Yenagoa issued an order restraining the INEC from conducting the election until the challenge had been resolved. [15] Lokpobiri took his seat in the Senate on 29 May 2011 and was appointed chairman of the committee on Water Resources and a member of the committee on Solid Minerals. [3]
In August 2011, it was reported that the police were not prosecuting Lokpobiri and others suspected of electoral offenses since the INEC had to approve any such move. The INEC said that it did not have the powers to prosecute offenders. [16]
In March 2012, Lokpobiri introduced controversial legislation that would make it harder for labor unions to call a strike. A ballot would be required before industrial action could be started. Lokpobiri said, "This helps to achieve an affirmative consensus on union members through the instrumentality of ballot. Fairness, transparency and accountability are also given pride of place in the scheme of things." [17]
Other senators disagreed. Senator Joshua Dariye said, "The most democratic institution in the world is organized labour, they are the only hope of the society, if we stampede them, I fear we will be calling for anarchy.
In 2015, he decamped from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the All Progressives Congress, APC. He was later appointed by the Buhari led APC as a minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development". [18]
Lokpobiri is married and has four children. [19]
Mohammed Danjuma Goje was a former Governor of Gombe State, Nigeria under the platform of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), taking office on 29 May 2003 during the 2003 Gombe State gubernatorial election. He is now a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Enyinnaya Harcourt Abaribe is a Nigerian politician who has served as the senator representing Abia South senatorial district since 2007. He previously served as deputy governor of Abia State from 1999 until his resignation and subsequent impeachment in March 2003. He was the minority leader in the 9th senate.
Abubakar Umar Gada was a Nigerian senator who represented the People's Democratic Party (PDP) in Sokoto State. He became a member of the Nigerian Senate in 2007.
Ehigie Edobor Uzamere is a Nigerian politician who was elected to the Nigerian Senate in 2007 representing the Edo South Senatorial District of Edo State for the People's Democratic Party (PDP).
Emmanuel Paulker is a Nigerian politician who was elected Senator for the Bayelsa Central constituency of Bayelsa State, Nigeria, taking office on 29 May 2007. He is a member of the UKIP.
The table below lists elected Nigerian senators of the 7th National Assembly. The Senate includes three senators from each of the 36 states, plus one minister for the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The 7th National Assembly was in May 2011.
Philips Tanimu Aduda is a Nigerian politician. He served two terms in the Nigerian House of Representatives between 2003 and 2011, and was elected to the Senate for the Abuja Federal Capital Territory in the 9 April 2011 elections, running on the People's Democratic Party (PDP) ticket.
Kashim Shettima Mustapha is a Nigerian politician who is the 15th and current vice president of Nigeria. He previously served as senator for Borno Central from 2019 to 2023, and as the governor of Borno State from 2011 to 2019.
Rose Okoji Oko was a Nigerian politician and senator. She was a Member of the Federal House of Representatives from the People's Democratic Party (PDP), representing Yala/Ogoja Federal Constituency in Nigeria's 7th National Assembly. She was elected into office as the first female representative from her constituency in June 2011 and sat as Deputy Chairman House Committee on Education. She was the Senator representing the people of Cross River North Senatorial District. She was elected into office as the first female representative from her Senatorial District in June 2015.
Uche Lilian Ekwunife née Ogudebe born 12 January 1970), is a Nigerian politician who was recently a Senator representing the people of Anambra Central Senatorial District of Anambra State. She is known as one of the most active female senators in the House.
Senator Chief Gershom Henry Bassey is a Nigerian politician and multi-millionaire businessman. He is the senator representing Cross River South Senatorial District in the Nigerian Senate. He is a senator of the 8th and 9th National Assembly in Nigeria respectively.
Douye Diri is a Nigerian politician who has served as the governor of Bayelsa State since 2020. He was the senator representing Bayelsa Central Senatorial District from 2019 to 2020 in the 9th National Assembly.
Shuaibu Isa Lau is a Nigerian politician who has served as the senator representing the Taraba North senatorial district since 2017. He is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Biobarakuma Wangagha Degi Eremienyo, is a Nigerian politician and the senator representing Bayelsa East senatorial district of Bayelsa State at the 9th National Assembly. In 2019, he was appointed the vice chairman senate committee on gas resources and vice chairman senate committee on special duties.
Lawrence Oborawharievwo Ewhrudjakpo is a Nigerian politician who has served as the deputy governor of Bayelsa State since 2020. He was the senator representing Bayelsa West Senatorial District from 2019 to 2020 in the 9th National Assembly.
The 2019 Bayelsa State gubernatorial election occurred on 16 November 2019, the APC nominee David Lyon won the election, defeating Douye Diri of the PDP.
The 2023 Kogi State gubernatorial election was held on 11 November 2023 to elect the Governor of Kogi State. Incumbent APC Governor Yahaya Bello was term-limited and could not seek re-election to a third term in office. Ahmed Usman Ododo — a former state Auditor-General for Local Government — retained the office for the APC by a margin of 24% over first runner-up and SDP nominee Murtala Ajaka.
The 2011 Nigerian Senate election in Bayelsa State was held on April 9, 2011, to elect members of the Nigerian Senate to represent Bayelsa State. Clever Ikisikpo representing Bayelsa East, Emmanuel Paulker representing Bayelsa Central and Heineken Lokpobiri representing Bayelsa West all won on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party.
The 2023 Bayelsa State gubernatorial election took place on 11 November 2023 to elect the Governor of Bayelsa State. Incumbent PDP Governor Douye Diri won election to a second term by a 23.6% margin of victory over former Governor Timipre Sylva, the APC nominee.
The 2023 Nigerian Senate elections in Bayelsa State will be held on 25 February 2023, to elect the 3 federal Senators from Bayelsa State, one from each of the state's three senatorial districts. The elections will coincide with the 2023 presidential election, as well as other elections to the Senate and elections to the House of Representatives; with state elections being held two weeks later. Primaries were held between 4 April and 9 June 2022.