Useni Mark Bako (Hon.)

About Useni Mark Bako (Hon.)

Rt. Hon. Useni Mark Bako is a Nigerian politician, former Taraba State House of Assembly Speaker and current member of the House of Representatives representing the Takum/Donga/Ussa Federal Constituency of Taraba State. He is a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and has built a long political career spanning local government administration, the Taraba State House of Assembly and the National Assembly. He currently serves in the 10th House of Representatives.

Useni was born on 30 June 1970 in Vom, in present-day Plateau State. He began his early education at Salama Primary School in Takum and later attended Mbiya Government Secondary School, Takum. He proceeded to the College of Preliminary Studies, Yola, where he obtained his A-level qualification. He subsequently earned a National Diploma in Mass Communication from the University of Jos in 1990.

He continued his academic development while building his professional career. He obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Mass Communication from the University of Maiduguri in 2003 and later completed a Master of Science degree in Mass Communication at Benue State University, Makurdi, in 2007. While serving in the Taraba State House of Assembly, he pursued doctoral studies and obtained a PhD in Mass Communication in 2014. His academic background therefore combines communication studies with extensive experience in government and politics.

Before entering elective politics, Useni worked in the media and public service. In 1993, he joined Taraba Television as a news reporter, beginning a professional career in broadcasting and communications. He later became involved in local government administration, serving as a caretaker councillor in Takum and subsequently as Special Assistant to the Speaker of the Taraba State House of Assembly. In 2004, he was appointed Sole Administrator of Takum Local Government and later elected Executive Chairman of the council. He also served briefly as caretaker chairman in 2006.

In 2007, Useni was appointed Commissioner for Health in Taraba State under the administration of Governor Danbaba Suntai. He subsequently resigned from the position to contest the vacant Takum II State Constituency seat in the Taraba State House of Assembly. He won the election and began what became a lengthy period of service in the state legislature. He was re-elected in 2011 and served as Chairman of the House Committee on Local Government.

Useni rose to the leadership of the Taraba State House of Assembly when he was elected Speaker in 2014. He subsequently returned to the position in February 2016 after another election by members of the Assembly, making him the seventh Speaker of the Taraba State House of Assembly. He continued representing Takum II and was re-elected in the 2019 general election, completing a prolonged period of legislative service at the state level. Parliamentary records describe his state legislative career as running from 2008 until 2023.

In the run-up to the 2023 general election, Useni moved to the APC and contested the Takum/Donga/Ussa Federal Constituency seat in the House of Representatives. He won the supplementary election held on 15 April 2023 and was declared elected on 16 April 2023. His victory brought him into the 10th National Assembly and marked his transition from more than a decade of state-level legislative service to federal representation.

In the 10th National Assembly, Useni has served as Chairman of the House Committee on Basic Education and Services. His committee responsibilities place him in an area of federal legislative oversight concerned with basic education and related institutions and programmes. Parliamentary proceedings also show him sponsoring or presenting committee-related matters concerning gifted and talented education centres and the cost of education in federal unity schools.

For the 2027 general election, Useni Mark Bako is seeking another term representing Takum/Donga/Ussa. The APC's candidate platform lists him as its House of Representatives candidate for the constituency. However, the published 2027 final candidate record currently identifies him under the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), while the APC list identifies him as its candidate. There has also been reported legal litigation over the APC primary in the constituency. Because these records conflict, his final party status for the 2027 election should be treated cautiously pending authoritative clarification.

Overall, Useni Mark Bako's career has covered journalism, local government administration, executive office and extensive legislative service. He served as a local government chairman, Commissioner for Health, four-term member of the Taraba State House of Assembly and Speaker of the state legislature before entering the National Assembly in 2023. His current federal role and 2027 candidacy continue a political career that has been closely associated with Takum and the wider Takum/Donga/Ussa constituency.