Senate Leader and front runner for the position of Senate President in the 9th Senate, Senator Ahmed Lawan is confident that more PDP Senators will back his candidacy before convocation of the National Assembly expected to take place on June 10.
Lawan, who spoke at an interactive session with a select group of journalists, dismissed insinuations his endorsement by Senator Peter Nwaoboshi representing Delta North means a crack in the rank in the rank of the PDP caucus, saying the Delta Senator only acted in the national interest.
The Senate Leader also dismissed speculations he will be a rubber stamp Senate President, saying he will disagree with the Executive arm of government on critical national issues when the needs arise.
However such disagreement, he stated, will not be allowed to degenerate into rancour that will affect the performance of government.
He said: “The endorsement by Senator Peter Nwaobishi of Delta North who is a serving Senator and also a PDP returning Senator. What the endorsement mean is not a crack in the fold of the PDP in the Senate.
“What the endorsement means is that feeling of patriotism, that feeling of the necessity for all of us that will be in the 9th Senate to work together in the national interest.
‘’That feeling that we have no time to lose or waste and that we should hit the ground running immediately we are inaugurated. That feeling that Nigerians don’t care what platform you represent in the Senate.
“What Nigerians care for is what the 9th Senate is able to do to better their lives. What Nigerians care for is improvement in the security of their lives and property.
‘’What they care for is how the economy will be improved and enhanced and revitalised to be an all-inclusive economy that will work for those at the lowest level of the ladder and those at the highest level who will create the businesses and those who need to be employed.
“We all know this administration has done quite a lot in the last four years, getting the economy out of recession to a growth of between two and three percent.
‘’But we are still faced with that challenge of expanding the economy, diversifying the economy and providing employment for our teeming youth who need to be accommodated in the economy.
“That is what Nigerians expect the National Assembly to do, working with the executive arm of government.
‘’Our platforms are simply the vehicles that will convey everybody. We have our beliefs, even as political parties.
“But whatever your belief is and whatever your political party is, the belief must be centrally looking at one thing and that is, how do in contribute to making legislative interventions that will make this country better.
“So, what Senator Peter Nwaoboshi is to say that we should break down this barrier. If you go in, you may have between 62 and 65 APC senators and maybe 44 or 45 PDP senators and a YPP senator. But why should we keep those barriers.’’
He added: “Let me go a bit further to say that there are so many PDP senators elect who have identified with our vision because our vision is not a political party vision but a national vision that everybody will find comfortable to embrace. What we all embrace is that we need to achieve unity as a chamber.
“Our political parties are there but we have to work together. We have been promising that by the grace of God, when this campaign becomes successful and I am returned as Senate President, I want to work with each and every Senator.
“So far, my experience from sitting one on one with almost every senator elect gives me the impression that all the Senators elect are people of diverse and massive and deep experiences.
“Some may not have the legislative experience, but I can tell you the kind of experiences they are bringing to bear on the 9th senate will be such crucial and critical experiences that will shape the output of the 9th Senate. So, I believe we need to achieve that unity.
“We have learnt over the years that bickering and rancorous relationships between political parties in the national Assembly do not help anyone at the end of the day.
‘’But deep understanding between Senators elect or members of the National Assembly, regardless of their political colorations will take them to a higher level in terms of performance and relevance.
“I believe that the endorsement does not mean throwing away his political platform. I believe that he acted in the national interest.
“I believe that in the next few days, there will be more engagement between the PDP caucus and my campaign team.
“We have promised that we want everybody to be at his best in the senate. We should elicit the potential in everyone because it is when we are able to have everyone contributing meaningfully that the aggregate performance will be good for government to function well.
“All my friends in the PDP caucus why are yet to show publicly their stand, but we know that they are giving us every possible support in this campaign.”
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Speaking on the constant disagreement between the legislature and the executive arm of government, Lawan said: “If you have to be in a functional democracy, then the two arms of government will have to work in such a manner that they are able to deliver.
“When you talk about the relationship between the executive and the legislature, it does not preclude some disagreements because the legislator is supposed to oversight on the executive and that is not something you can wish away.
“It is probably one of the most important functions of the legislator as far as the relationship with the executive arm is concerned.
“You appropriate funds and there are bills that have been signed into law which is to be implemented by the executive.
“That relationship does not mean we will not disagree, but when we disagree, we are supposed to ensure that it does not degenerate into rancor.
“We should find a way around the issue without compromising our constitutional function of oversight, find resolutions to such disagreement in the national interest because the national interest is supposed to be the driving force for all of us.
“We are supposed to serve the same people and in doing that, we must always be conscious of the fact that these people don’t care whether it is executive or legislature.
“What they care about is that as government help us deal with this issue that has bedeviled our lives.
“So, we have to work together. But that is not to be rubber stamp. I don’t believe that fighting or rancour is asserting the independence of the legislature.
“Asserting the independence is to pass the laws that are required and insist on implementation.
“In the process, if you disagree or when you disagree, you have to find a solution and finding a solution does not necessitate that you start throwing stones.
“We can argue against a position of government because that is democracy. But at the end of the day, let there be optimal performance on both sides and Nigerians will be better for it.”
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