Gbemisola Ruqayyah Saraki

Gbemisola Ruqayyah Saraki is a Nigerian senator who was elected to represent the People's Democratic Party in the Central Senatorial District of Kwara State in April 2003.^[1] She was elected into the House of Representatives in 1999 representing Asa/Ilorin West Federal Constituency, Kwara State.^[1]

Background

Saraki attended the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom and earned a bachelor's degree in Economics. She did her mandatory national service at the Nigeria Bank for Commerce and Industry, Lagos. She worked for the Societe Generale Bank (Nigeria) as Head of Money Markets and later as Head of Domiciliary Accounts. From 1994 to 1999 she was Executive Director of Ashmount Insurance Brokers, Lagos.^[2]

Her father is Abubakar Olusola Saraki, a leading senator of the Second Nigerian Republic (1979–1983).^[3] Her brother, Abubakar Bukola Saraki became governor of Kwara State, Nigeria on 29 May 2003 and is the Senate President 8th Senate in Nigeria.^[4]

Political career

Gbemisola R. Saraki was elected as a member of the House of Representatives in 1999 under the umbrella of the All People's Party (APP). She ran under the umbrella of the People's Democratic Party, (PDP) for the senate in 2003 and won the seat, representing the Central Senatorial District of Kwara State. She re-contested in 2007 and won again, serving as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for eight years. 2003-2011. Few hours to the March 28th presidential elections, she defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC). In February 2016, Saraki was appointed by President Muhammed Buhari as the Pro Chancellor and Chairperson of the Federal University Otuoke, Baylesa State, the home town of the former president, Goodluck Jonathan. On the 14th February 2017, Saraki was also appointed as one of the 16-member committee to re-negotiate its 2009 agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) ^[1]

References