A group of veteran Nigerian lawmakers, often dubbed the “Landlords” of the National Assembly, have maintained their seats for over two decades, navigating seven consecutive terms despite high turnover rates in recent general elections.
Despite the high turnover rate recorded in the 2023 National Assembly election, where over 230 first-timers entered the 360-member House of Representatives, a resilient group of veteran politicians has continued to dominate the legislative landscape. These lawmakers, popularly referred to as “Landlords,” have successfully secured re-election across multiple four-year tenures, with some serving continuously since Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999. Their longevity has allowed them to move strategically between the Green and Red Chambers, chairing sensitive committees and wielding significant influence over the country’s legislative direction for nearly 27 years.
Sen. Ahmad Lawan
Ahmed Lawan, a former President of the Senate in the 9th Assembly, has been in the National Assembly since 1999. He was first elected into the House of Representatives and represented Bade/Jakusko Federal Constituency of Yobe State on the platform of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) between 1999 and 2007. The former university lecturer was elected to the Senate in 2007 as a lawmaker representing Yobe North. During his sojourn in the National Assembly, he has served variously as the chairman of the House of Representatives Committees on Public Accounts, Education, and Agriculture, and as the Senate Leader before becoming the Senate president in 2019. Lawan is currently the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Defence and is in his seventh term in the National Assembly, where he has spent about 27 years.
Hon. Nicholas Mutu
Mutu, the lawmaker representing Bomadi/Patani Federal Constituency of Delta State, has also been in the National Assembly since 1999. He had been re-elected to the same chamber between 1999 and 2023. The Delta lawmaker who recently dumped PDP for the APC has chaired sensitive committees, including Niger Delta Affairs/NDDC and Gas Resources, and is presently the leader of the Southern Region caucus in the House. Like Lawan, Mutu is in his seventh term in the National Assembly, where he has spent about 27 years.
Sen. Ali Ndume
Ndume has been in the National Assembly since 2003, where he first represented Chibok/Damboa/Gwoza federal constituency of Borno State from 2003 to 2011. He moved to the Senate in 2011 as a lawmaker representing Borno South Senatorial District, a seat he has occupied to date. The former Polytechnic lecturer had been a member of the ANPP, PDP, and APC during his time in the National Assembly. Ndume had served as the Minority Leader in the House of Representatives, the Majority Leader, and the Chief Whip of the Senate. The controversial lawmaker is serving his sixth term in the National Assembly, where he has been a member for about 23 years.
Hon. Alhassan Doguwa
Doguwa is a former House Leader and lawmaker representing Doguwa/Tudun Wada Federal Constituency of Kano State in the National Assembly. He was first elected to the Third Republic’s House of Representatives in 1992 on the Social Democratic Party (SDP) platform. The First Class Mass Communication graduate of Bayero University, Kano, returned to the Green Chamber in 2007 and has been there since then. Doguwa, who withdrew from the Speakership race for the 10th House, presently chairs the House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream) and is Leader of Northern Region Caucus. The lawmaker is serving his sixth term in the National Assembly, but has only been in the assembly for 21 years due to the botched Third Republic.
READ THE FULL STORY IN LEADERSHIP