Emmanuel Ibok Essien was elected Senator for the Akwa-Ibom North West District of

Akwa-Ibom State Akwa Ibom State is a state in the South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria, bordered on the east by Cross River State, on the west by Rivers State and Abia State, and on the south by the Atlantic Ocean. The state takes its name from the Qua Iboe R ...

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

at the start of the

Nigerian Fourth Republic The Fourth Republic is the current republican government of Nigeria. Since 1999, it has governed the country according to the fourth republican constitution. It was in many ways a revival of the Second Republic, which was in place between 1979 and ...

, running on the

People's Democratic Party People's Democratic Party or ''variant thereof'', could refer to: * People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan *People's Democratic Party (Belize) *People's Democratic Party (Bhutan) *People's Democratic Party (Chile) * People's Democratic Party (Dom ...

(PDP) platform. He took office on 29 May 1999. Essien studied Electrical/Electronics Engineering at the College of Technology,

Calabar Calabar (also referred to as Callabar, Calabari, Calbari and Kalabar) is the capital city of Cross River State, Nigeria. It was originally named Akwa Akpa, in the Efik language. The city is adjacent to the Calabar and Great Kwa rivers and cre ...

(1975 - 1977), the

University of Ife Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) is a federal government-owned university that is located in the ancient city of Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria. The university was founded in 1961 and classes commenced in October 1962 as the University of Ife ...

(1977 - 1978) and

Carleton University Carleton University is an English-language public research university in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1942 as Carleton College, the institution originally operated as a private, non-denominational evening college to serve returning World ...

, Ottawa, Ontario, graduating in 1982 with a degree in Civil Engineering. He worked with Mobil Producing Nigeria, taught at the

Federal Polytechnic, Mubi Federal Polytechnic, Mubi is a polytechnic based in Mubi, Adamawa State, northeastern Nigeria. The Federal Polytechnic, Mubi is one of the seven Federal Polytechnics established by Decree No. 33 of 1979. It opened in August of the same year as t ...

, and established an engineering construction company, as well as undertaking large-scale farming. In 2000, he established Ritman Nursery/Primary School and Ritman College and also Ritman University. After taking his seat in the Senate in June 1999, Essien was appointed to committees on Works & Housing, Communication, National Planning, Internal Affairs, Information and Tourism & Culture (vice chairman). He was Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate in 1999. In September 2002, he was a strong supporter of a bill to end the onshore / offshore dichotomy in oil revenue allocation, a change that would benefit Akwa Ibom State. Essien was an aspirant to be a candidate in the 2007 elections for Governor of Akwa Ibom State. As of 2010, he was a member of the

PDP Board of Trustees The PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) is a constitutionally-mandated 99-member body within the People's Democratic Party of Nigeria that provides advice and counsel to the leadership of the National Working Committee and staff. It is regarded by the part ...

References

Living people Peoples Democratic Party members of the Senate (Nigeria) People from Akwa Ibom State Obafemi Awolowo University alumni Carleton University alumni 20th-century Nigerian politicians 21st-century Nigerian politicians Year of birth missing (living people) {{Nigeria-politician-stub