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Tag: Ahmed Lawan

  • Senate presidency: 61 senators to vote Lawan

    The coast got clearer for Dr. Ahmed Lawan on Saturday in his quest to become  the next Senate President  following his endorsement for the race by no fewer than 61 Senators-elect .

    Sixty of those who have signed to vote for him on Tuesday are his colleagues in the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    The only senator elect from the Young People’s Party (YPP), Ifeanyi Uba, has also keyed into the project, according to Secretary of the Lawan Campaign Organisation but their names are being kept secret for ‘strategic reasons.”

    But Lawan expressed confidence that he could garner about 35 to 38 votes from the PDP Caucus.

    The endorsement list was unveiled by the Chairman of the Lawan Campaign Organisation, Sen. Yahaya Abdullahi and Secretary, Senator Barau  Jibrin at a crowded briefing in Abuja.

    The signatories include Senator Danjuma Goje who stood down for Lawan on Thursday after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, ex-governors Ibikunle Amosun, Ibrahim Gaidam, Kashim Shettima, and Umar Tanko Al-Makura. The APC has 62 Senators-elect.

    But Lawan’s only opponent, Alhaji Ali Ndume, said Satuday that he was not bothered by the number of endorsements received by Lawan.

    He said he was more concerned about receiving votes that would make him Senate President.

    Jibrin told reporters in Abuja that only two APC senators elect have not signed the Lawan Project.

    He said: “The APC is the immediate base of Senator Ahmad Lawan. They have signed some of them have even come out to show their endorsement for him.

    “When you take away the three senators from Zamfara, we now have 61 but 60 are APC senators-elect and one is YPP.

    “In total the APC senators-elect in total are 62, those who have not signed for us are only two. You can guess those people.”

    He then proceeded to name the pro-Lawan Senators elect as follows:

    *Adamu Aliero (Kebbi central)

    * Barau Jibrin (Kano north)

    *Francis Alimikhena (Edo north)

    *Solomon Adeola (Lagos west)

    *Aliyu Abdullahi (Niger north)

    *Olubunmi Adetumbi (Ekiti North)

    *Ibrahim Gobir (Sokoto East)

    *Robert Borrofice (Ondo North)

    *Sadiq Umar (Kwara North)

    *Yakubu Oseni (Kogi central)

    *Adelere Orilowo (Osun west)

    *Biobarakuma Degi-Eremenyo (Bayelsa East)

    *Bulus Amos (Gombe south)

    *Hezekiah Dimka (Plateau central)

    *Ignatius Longstan (Plateau south)

    *Halliru Jika (Bauchi central)

    *Kabiru Gaya (Kano south)

    *Ajibola Basiru (Osun Central)

    *Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa West)

    *Umaru Al-Makura (Nasarawa South)

    *Danladi Sankara (Jigawa north-west)

    *Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia (Jigawa North East)

    *Kashim Shettima (Borno Central)

    *Sabo Mohammed (Jigawa South-West)

    *Godiya Akwashuki (Nasarawa North)

    *Ovie Omo-Agege (Delta Central)

    *Buhari Abdulfatai (Oyo North)

    *Adedayo Adeyeye (Ekiti South)

    *Bello Mandiya (Katsina South)

    *Yahaya Abdullahi (Kebbi North)

    *Bala Ibn Na’Allah (Kebbi South)

    *Yusuf Abubakar Yusuf (Taraba Central)

    *Oluremi Tinubu (Lagos Central)

    *David Umaru (Niger East)

    *Isah Jibrin (Kogi East)

    *Suleiman Abdu Kwari (Kaduna North)

    *Ashiru Yisa (Kwara South)

    *Ibrahim Geidam (Yobe East)

    *Ahmad Babba Kaita (Katsina North)

    *Ifeanyi Ubah (Anambra South)

    *Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto North)

    *Lawal Yahaya (Bauchi South)

    *A.M. Bulkachuwa (Bauchi North)

    *Ashiru Ahmed (Adamawa Central)

    *Michael Bamidele (Ekiti Central)

    *Olalekan Mustapha (Ogun East)

    *Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun Central)

    *Abubakar Kyari (Borno North)

    *Teslim Folarin (Oyo Central)

    *Uba Sani (Kaduna Central)

    *Abubakar Shehu (Sokoto South)

    *Tolu Odebiyi (Ogun West)

    *Orji Uzor-Kalu (Abia North)

    *Kabir Barkiya (Katsina Central)

    *Bima Muhammad Enagi (Niger South)

    *Ibrahim Shekarau (Kano Central)

    *Ibrahim Oloriegbe (Kwara Central)

    *Osinowo Adebayo (Lagos East)

    *Danjuma Goje (Gombe Central)

    *Saidu Alkali (Gombe North)

    *Ahmad Lawan (Yobe North)

    Five Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Senators elect showed up at Friday’s presentation of  Lawan’s ‘Blueprint for  a Senate and National Assembly that will meet the expectations of Nigerians’  in Abuja.

    They are Mr. Abba Moro (Benue South), Mathew Urhoghide  (Edo South),Clifford Ordia (Edo Central) , Gershom Bassey (Cross River South) ,and Lawal Anka (Zamfara West).

    Mr. Patrick Nwaoboshi (PDP, Delta North) had, at a different forum, declared support for Lawan.

  • 9th Assembly: Vote Ahmed Lawan, Group urges Senators

    A group acting under the aegis of Initiative for Leadership Development and Change (ILDC) has called on members of ninth Assembly to elect Sen. Ahmed Lawan as the President of the Senate to fast track national development.

    The group on Saturday said a vote for Lawan as Senate President would be a vote for a harmonious relationships between the Legislature and Rxecutive for progressive Nigeria.

    Chief Ugochukwu Nnam, the President of the group, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the acrimonious relations between the 8th Senate and the Presidency impeded administrative progress in the country.

    He described Sen. Lawan as a confident and experienced Senator who had the same vision with President Muhammadu Buhari for the country.

    “Sen. Lawan is not just qualified for the job but well prepared since 2015.

    Read Also: Senate Presidency: Lawan unveils legislative agenda

    “I plead on behalf of Nigerians to the senators to vote for him for a greater and progressive Nigeria,” Nnam said.

    He said that Lawan’s loyalty to his political party in spite of all was a display of maturity and good party man.

    The ILDC leader also urged Sen. Ali Ndume to emulate Sen. Danjuma Goje to step down for Sen. Lawan, which he said was for the sake of Nigeria.

    According to him, political grandstanding cannot take us any where but loyalty and ideology.

    Nnam, who called on Nigerians to support the candidacy of Lawan, also noted that he (Lawan) was key to speedy passage of people oriented bills.

    NAN reports that President Buhari would inaugurate the 9th Assembly on June 11 at the National Assembly complex, Abuja.

    NAN

  • ‘Ahmed Lawan will harmonise ninth National Assembly’

    A group, Northeast Support Group of Senator Ahmed Lawan (NSGSAL), has said the good rapport and cordial relationship the senator enjoys with President Muhammadu Buhari will enable him to harmonise the Senate and pave the way for national development, if he heads the Red Chamber.

    The group regretted the rivalry that ensued between the legislative and executive arms of government in the past.

    NSGSAL’s National Chairman Abubakar Adam Muhammed spoke yesterday at a zonal meeting with state coordinators of the support group in Bauchi.

    He recalled that it used to take the National Assembly a long time to pass budgets, which he said delayed the execution of capital projects across the country.

    “Ahmed Lawan has promised that if elected the Senate President, budgets will be passed into law within a maximum of two months.

    “Although there are other All Progressives Congress (APC) senators vying for the seat, like Ali Ndume and Danjuma Goje, but Ahmed Lawan is the most loyal to the party. He will not sabotage the development agenda of President Buhari,” Muhammed said.

    He added that if experience is among the criteria to occupy the Senate president’s seat, Lawan is the best man for the job, among all his contenders.

    “The senator is the most senior and serving lawmaker, having been in House of Representatives from 1999 to 2007 and Senate, from 2007 till date. He is more qualified to be the Senate President in the ninth National Assembly.”

  • Why EFCC quizzed National Assembly clerk

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) interrogated Clerk to the National Assembly, Mohammed Sani-Omolori, following a petition by Legislatives Aides, it was learnt on Sunday.

    Findings showed that some Legislative Aides petitioned the Presidency over “outstanding claims and allowances” the National Assembly allegedly refused to pay them.

    A reliable source said that the petition was written against the Senate President, Bukola Saraki and Speaker of the House of Representative, Yakubu Dogara, for their “inability to prevail on the management of the National Assembly to settle the outstanding claims.”

    The Presidency was said to have referred the petition to the EFCC for appropriate action.

    The source said that “the National Assembly Clerk may have been invited by the EFCC as “the accounting officer” to clear the air on the issues raised by the Legislative Aides, among other sundry matters on financial dealings.”

    Apart from the outstanding allowances of the Legislative Aides, he said that the voting method for the election of the presiding officers of the ninth National Assembly was “another contentious issue the EFCC dived into with the Clerk.”

    The EFCC, he said, “demanded to know the voting method the Clerk intended to use for the election of presiding officers, whether open or secret ballot.”

    According to him, “the voting method to be adopted for the election of the presiding officers of the 9th assembly is actually creating tension in the National Assembly.”

    He noted that while some senators and House of Representatives members were rooting for open ballot as was used in 2011, others favour secret ballot as was the case in 2015.

    Findings showed that the two sides may disrupt the election of presiding officers on June 11 if the voting pattern did not go their way.

    It was also gathered that Senate and House of Representatives Rule Book had already been circulated to all senators-elect and House of Representatives members-elect during their induction programme last month.

    While the 2011 Senate Rule Book made provision for open ballot, the contentious 2015 version provided for secret ballot.

    The source who would not say the interest of EFCC in the voting method for the election of the presiding officers, simply laughed and said “we are talking about the election of the number three citizen of this country, it is a subject of interest to political leaders.”

    He noted that the front runners for the Senate President, Senators Ahmed Lawan, Mohammed Ali Ndume and Mohammed Danjuma Goje were “sharply divided over whether to adopt open or secret voting method for the election of presiding officers.”

    According to him, while the Lawan camp is pushing for open ballot, the Ndume and Goje camps are insisting on secret ballot.”

    He said, “There may be a show down and clash which may lead to the disruption of the election of the presiding officers. The two sides are maintaining their positions.

    Read Also: EFCC arrests Kwara Assembly member-elect

    “Nobody can say how it will end because the scenario is still unfolding but there is fear of unpleasant scene that will be totally unparliamentary and uncalled for.”

    The EFCC quizzed Sani-Omolori last Tuesday over issues relating to the financial dealings in the National Assembly for about six hours.

    The interrogation of the clerk was said to have lasted from about 11am to 5pm when Omolori was allowed to go home.

    The source noted that apart from the initial questions on records of financial dealings of the National Assembly, Omolori was also asked questions on the method of election of the presiding officers of the ninth National Assembly.

    Omolori was said to have “duly cooperated with the EFCC officers.”

    Contacted, a source in the EFCC confirmed Omolori’s interrogation by the anti-crime agency.

    The source who spoke anonymously because he was not authorised to speak on the issue, said that Omolori visited the commission on Tuesday.

    Findings should that Omolori’s international passport was taken from him by EFCC operatives.

    It was gathered that other key officials of the National Assembly including the Clerk of the Senate, Clerk of the House of Representatives as well as their deputies may be invited by the EFCC for questioning.

  • But why Ahmed Lawan and Femi Gbajabiamila?

    On what basis did President Muhammadu Buhari and the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) arrive at the decision to adopt Senator Ahmed Lawan and Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila for the positions of Senate President and Speaker, House of Representatives, respectively, in the 9th National Assembly? Is this not a necessarily arbitrary decision since any number of reasons can be given to justify whatever zoning formula opted for by the party? Would it indeed not have been preferable for the party simply to have zoned the offices and allowed intra-party dynamics on the floor of the respective chambers to determine which legislators for these and other offices emerge?

    Of course, the danger here would be that if a party cannot summon the will and discipline to enforce its right to determine which of its legislators occupy what offices in the National Assembly, what is the guarantee that things would not get out of hand on the floor during the legislative election especially when you have a minority opposition party ever so eager to turn the tables on the majority party and grab key legislative offices in collusion with unprincipled members of the dominant party?

    There is a school of thought, which contends that the business of electing the leadership of the two chambers of the National Assembly is entirely that of the legislators voting on the floor with no extraneous interference.  Section 50(1) of the 1999 constitution is cited to support this position. It states that “There shall be (a) a President and a Deputy President of the Senate, who shall be elected by the members of that House from among themselves; and (b) a Speaker and a Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, who shall be elected by the members of that House from among themselves”. From this perspective, there is absolutely no place for political parties in the election of the legislative leadership.

    But then, did the legislators emerge from outer space to contest for the positions they occupy in the National Assembly? Would that not be tantamount to something standing on nothing? Let us consider Section 65 of the 1999 constitution, which states the qualifications for membership of the National Assembly and right of attendance. Subsection 2(b) of this section states that “A person shall be qualified for election under subsection (1) of this section if (b) he is a member of a political party and is sponsored by that party”.

    This is reinforced by Section 68(1) subsection b of the constitution, which states that “A member of the Senate or House of Representatives shall vacate his seat in the House of which he is a member if being a person whose election was sponsored by a political party, he becomes a member of another political party before the expiration of the period for which he was elected: Provided that his membership of the latter political party is not a result as a result of a division in the political party of which he was previously a member or of a merger of two or more political parties or factions by one of which he was previously sponsored”.

    There is thus an inextricable link between the legislator and his political party. If so, it is impossible for a serious political party with a majority of members in the legislature to be indifferent as regards those who emerge as the leaders in the law making chambers. Political parties sponsor candidates for elective office both in the executive and legislative arms of government to implement specific party programmes and manifestoes that constitute its social contract with the electorate.

    The principle of separation of powers among the three arms of government is designed to ensure that they check and balance each other in order to enhance accountable, transparent and responsible government. However, this is not expected to be to the detriment of cooperative and harmonious relationship between the executive and legislature in order to ensure the achievement as much as possible of the policies and programmes of the party in power at any level of government.

    It is obviously due to the experience of the APC in the last four years, during which smooth implementation of the party’s programme was partly impeded by an adversarial legislative leadership, that the party is determined this time around to ensure that the opposition does not determine those who occupy key legislative offices as happened in 2015. Thus, right from President Muhammadu Buhari through the various leadership structures and organs of the party, all hands appear to be on deck towards the emergence of legislative leaders of the party’s choice particularly the offices of Senate President and Speaker.

    Let us then go back to our initial question: Was the adoption of Senator Ahmed Lawan and Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila for these prime legislative positions not essentially arbitrary and thus falling short of expected democratic standards? If the principle of zoning had been the criterion for settling for the two, I would have answered this question in the affirmative. And I think it is unfortunate that the misleading impression has been widely created that Lawan and Gbajabiamila’s choices for these positions is because the offices have been zoned to the North-East and South-West respectively.

    This is why the APC Vice Chairman for the North Central zone, Ahmed Suleiman Wambi, sounded a refreshingly different note in explaining the rationale for his zone’s support for the party leadership’s choice of Lawan and Gbajabiamila. In his words: “We have not given Ahmad Lawan the position of Senate President because he is from North East or Gbajabiamila Speaker because he is from the South West but based on their contribution and loyalty to the party…We are not saying that there is nobody in the North Central that is qualified. No. But there are certain considerations. We fought for the zone to get Deputy Speaker in the House of Representatives and also Majority Leader in the Senate”.

    In principle, all legislators are equal and none is more equal than others. All legislators are thus entitled to contest for legislative leadership positions. To simplify matters, it has become the tradition in legislative assemblies across diverse polities to grant ranking legislators priority in contesting key positions based on wealth of experience and proven quality of representation. This ensures that these positions can be filled without other qualified legislators feeling a sense of injustice or alienation. In this regard as Majority Leaders of the Senate and House of Representatives respectively Lawan and Gbajabiamila are the two most senior and highest ranking APC legislators in both chambers.

    Of course, it is not for nothing that Lawan and Gbajabiamila occupy these prestigious offices. A doctorate degree holder in remote sensing and distinguished educationist, Lawan has rich legislative experience having been elected to the House of Representatives in 1999 on the platform of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and serving at various times as Chairman of the House Committees on education and culture. Elected to the Senate in 2007 still on the platform of the ANPP, Lawan was a member of the Senate Committee on constitution review in 2008 and became Chairman of the Senate Public Accounts Committee in 2009. He was re-elected to the Senate again on the platform of the ANPP in 2011 and emerged as majority leader in 2017 after being re-elected on the platform of the APC in 2015. It says something of his character that contrary to the fair-weather nature of Nigeria’s political elite, Lawan has been consistently in opposition till he won re-election on the platform of the new ruling party in 2015.

    On his part, Gbajabiamila’s brilliance is widely acknowledged. With an exemplary legal education, he was in private practice both abroad and in Nigeria before opting for politics. Like Lawan, Gbajabiamila has been consistently in opposition since being elected to the House of Representatives on the platform of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) in 2003. By the end of his second tenure in 2007, Gbajabiamila had sponsored the highest number of bills in the House. In 2011, Gbajabiamila was nominated for the award of Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR). Surprisingly, he turned down the offer on the ground that he did not deserve it at the time. Rather, he sponsored an amendment to the requisite law to give stringent guidelines for selection of National Award nominees. Here surely is a man of character and principle.

    True, those ranking APC legislators who also legitimately aspire to these offices have rich resumes in terms of education as well as political and legislative experience. But Lawan and Gbajabiamiula have an edge as the highest ranking APC legislators in both Houses. But for the fact that he was removed from office as Majority Leader of the Senate by his colleagues in 2017, for instance, and replaced with Lawan, I don’t how anyone could have rationally and justifiably faulted Senator Ali Ndume’s aspiration for the Senate Presidency.

    Next week: PDP AND LEADERSHIP OF THE 9TH ASSEMBLY.

  • Senate Presidency: Lawan’s kinsmen beg Ndume, Goje to step down

    Two prominent title holders from  Bade Emirate in Yobe and kinsmen of Senator Ahmed Lawan have appealed to Senators Ali Ndume and Danjuma Goje, to step down and support the endorsement of Lawan for the President of the ninth senate come June, 2019.

    Alhaji Mamman Suleiman and Alhaji Mohammed Gagiyo, who spoke on behalf of Bade  Emirate, where Sen Lawan hails from  said the endorsement of Senator Lawan  by APC  leadership was in the best  interest of the North east and Nigeria in general.

    According to Suleiman, “as fellow compatriots of the region, we expect the two senators to support the senate leader following his endorsement by the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    “Nigeria in the last four years had suffered from unnecessary political conflicts between the executive and National Assembly which must not be repeated.”

    Read Also: ‘How Lawan can become Senate President’

    The Emirate urged all APC senators to remain united in the interest of the party and the country.

    Alhaji Mohammed Gagiyo, in his view said the experience of the senate leader in the National Assembly makes him more prepared and qualified for the office of the senate president.

    “As a region, we should exhibit the spirit of unity we are known for and support one of our own, Sen. Ahmad Lawan.

    “The people of Bade Emirate are solidly behind Senate Leader, Ahmad Lawan for Senate President and, we call on our brothers, Ndume and Goje to step down for Lawan,” he said.

  • Lawan: I won’t preside over a rubber-stamp Senate

    Senate Majority Leader, Ahmed Lawan, has dismissed insinuations in some quarters the Senate will become a rubber-stamp body to President Muhammadu Buhari if he emerges the President of the Ninth National Assembly.

    Lawan, who spoke on Tuesday in Abuja while playing host to the leadership of the All Progressives Youth Forum, said the principle of separation of powers does not necessarily entail adversarial relationship among the three arms of government.

    Rather, he said the principle demands healthy working relationship between the legislature and other arms, particularly the executive arm, which is headed by the President.

    Lawan, who is a front runner in the race for the presidency of the Ninth Senate, observed the adversarial relationship between the Eighth Senate and the executive arm denied Nigerians of the needed development and progress.

    According to him, the schism between the leadership of the two arms did not allow Nigerians to get the best from President Buhari and the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) in terms of delivery on the APC manifesto.

    Lawan however pledged to mobilise his colleagues to ensure the success of the APC manifesto and the actualisation of President Buhari’s good intention for the country.

    The senator representing Yobe North promised that if elected, the Senate under him, will support Buhari by preventing the distractions that characterised the relationship between the legislature and the executive in the Eight Senate.

    Read Also: ‘APC governors, others endorse Lawan, Gbajabiamila’

    Lawan said: “My campaign is based on a slogan of leading a Senate and National Assembly that will work for Nigeria.

    “We are not going for the Senate presidency because of name but to make serious and positive difference in the governance of the country.

    “We will work with Mr. President and his administration to fulfill all his campaign promises that he promised Nigerians in 2015 and 2019, which are the same.

    “2023 will be a testy period for the APC. That is when the party will know whether it is solid enough or not. Today, APC is largely revolving around President Buhari. Take away the President and the present APC will be in trouble”.

    Promising to lead an all- inclusive Senate will carry every senator along, regardless of party affiliation, the Senate Leader said he will extend a hand of fellowship to every senator across party lines, both returning and new ones.

    Senator-elect, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, appealed to both returning and newly elected senators to give Lawan the needed support, assuring that the three senators elected to represent Ekiti State have aligned with Lawan’s aspiration.

    Adeyeye, who has been elected to represent Ekiti South senatorial district, urged senators in the incoming dispensation to put the collective interest of the Senate above personal ambitions, stressing that in doing so, the overall interest of the nation will be served.

    Some of the new and returning senators on hand to give Lawan their support included Opeyemi Bamidele, Ajibola Bashiru, Sabi Abdullahi, Jibrin Barau among others.

  • Senate Presidency: Borno behind Lawan, not Ndume, says Shettima

    Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima on Monday threw his weight behind the candidature of Senator Ahmed Lawan as the President of the ninth Senate.

    Shettima, who spoke to reporters in Abuja, said his decision to back the candidature of Lawan is line with the position of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Muhammadu Buhari.

    The APC has already endorsed Lawan (Yobe North) as the party’s choice for the Senate President.

    Shettima insisted the decision of the APC about who becomes the President of the ninth Senate must be respected as way to enforce party discipline and cohesion.

    The governors, who said that it was not true that Borno elders were backing Senator Ali Ndume to emerge Senate President, noted that as the first citizen of the state he made wide consultation before his decision to support Lawan.

    He said: “I hail from the same state with the distinguished Senator Ali Ndume. And I appreciate the fact that politics is local. But politics is also national. And I believe the blood that binds us together supersedes whatever we might harbour.

    “But I fully aligned with the aspiration of my party, to the aspiration of President Muhammadu Buhari and by the grace of God we are going to mobilise all our goodwill to see that we are fully on board.

    “We are for Senator Ahmad Lawan, we are for Femi Gbajabiamila and all other senators and other House of Representatives members endorsed by the party.

    “We are for party discipline that allowed everyone to aspire for political offices. We believe that we must respect the party. All of us won under platforms. There is no provision for independent candidate.

    “I don’t know whether anyone has won under an independent platform. Except may be Senator-elect Ifeanyi Ubah who brought in an anonymous party and won.

    “So, I feel honored by the visit but honestly this visit is unwarranted. I am fully onboard. I am for Senator Ahmed Lawan for Senate president.

    “Well, I am the first citizen of the state I have made wide consultations with our leaders from Borno before resolving to back Senator Ahmed Lawan.

    “And most importantly, let’s be brutally honest, Muhammadu Buhari is the single candidate in the country that most of us from the North won election by aligning with Muhammadu Buhari.

    “So, we have no basis to undermine him or to disrespect him. People like Senator Ovie Omo-Agege and Sen Ifeanyi Ubah, Sen Francis Alimikhena won in spite of Buhari not because of Buhari.

    Read alsso: 9th Assembly: APC clears Lawan, others to consult PDP colleagues

    “But most of us from the North have no basis not to align ourselves with President Buhari and whoever he enforces.

    “He has endorsed some of the best hands we have in the system and where we hail from, Sen Ahmed Lawan is one of the best hands we have.

    “It is a reality. He has been in the National Assembly since 1999, he has the experience, exposure, pedigree, intellect to redefine the process. He is the best amongst equals.

    “He is level headed, calm, matured and we need such quality of leadership to drive the 9th Senate.

    “We, the people of Borno, the elected representatives of the people of Borno and we are the representatives of the people.

    “We are not at war with Senator Ali Ndume, he is my kinsman but we will continue to prevail on him to align himself with the aspiration of the party. We are not at war. We belong to the same paternity.”

  • APC’s position on Lawan in line with global parliamentary best practices, says group

    A Coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), led by Centre for Policy Advocacy and Leadership Development (CPALD), has thrown its weight behind the choice of Senate Leader Ahmed Lawan for the next Senate.

    The group described Lawan’s adoption by the All Progressives Congress (APC) as in line with global parliamentary best practices.

    In a statement signed by the Director, Democracy and Governance of CPALD, Comrade Joe Mesele, the CSOs expressed their support for the APC’s stance on Lawan’s candidature, declaring that there was nothing wrong with it.

    The statement reads: “We have watched with keen interest for some weeks now debates as to the proprietary of the leadership of the APC in nominating Senator Ahmed Lawan as its candidate for the President of the Senate of the Ninth Assembly.

    Read also: On APC’s near fall in Kano

    “We at the CPALD alongside 10 of our sister civil society organisations hereby unequivocally state that we are on the same page in advancing the course of democracy in Nigeria and, therefore, view the development as a welcome development because it’s in line with international parliamentary best practices.

    “We have studied parliamentary developments in several advanced democracies and came to the conclusion that the leadership of those parliaments are usually members with the requisite cognate experience – usually leaders of the ruling party’s caucuses. And right now in Nigeria, the leader of the APC caucuses in the Senate is Lawan.

    “He is, therefore, without sentiments, eminently qualified to hold the position. The people criticising the APC for taking the position of supporting Senator Ahmed Lawan are simply ignorant of parliamentary  ethics and norms the world over.

    “We are calling on other stakeholders to align with the initiative of the APC in order to flow along with international norms and procedures in the election of the leadership of parliaments”.

  • Lawan, Goje, Ndume: Who becomes next Senate President?

    Three senators-Ahmed Lawan, Danjuma Goje and Ali Ndume-are in the race for Senate President. Who becomes the number three citizen? Group Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU examines the aspirants, their chances and constraints.

    From 1960 to date, Nigeria has produced 12 Senate Presidents. In the First Republic, the late Dr. Nnamidi Azikiwe and Dr. Nwafor Orozu, served as heads of the ceremonial Senate under the parliamentary system.

    In the Second Republic, Dr. Joseph Wayas, was the Chairman of the National Assembly under the presidential system. The Third Republic produced Dr. Iyocha Ayu and Ahmed Ebute.

    In the last 20 years, seven prominent politicians have occupied the seat. They are the late Chief Evans Ewerem, the late Dr. Chuba Okadigbo, Pius Ayim, Adulphus Wabara, Ken Nnamani, General David Mark and Dr. Bukola Saraki.

    The question is: who becomes next Senate President?

    The Senate President is number two member of the President’s kitchen cabinet. In the absence of the Commander-In-Chief and his deputy, he automatically becomes the acting president. The Senate President is the Chairman of the National Assembly, which comprises the Senate and the House of Representatives. When there is gulf between the president and holder of the post, the lack of cordial relations will definitely affect the smooth running of governance.

    The effects may manifest in delay in passage of budgets, denial of approval for presidential nominees, defections and executive/parliamentary tension.

    Since independence, there was never a time the head of government was aloof to the election of key National Assembly officers, except in 2015. Also, the Senate President and the Deputy Senate President have always come from the ruling party, except there a coalition or accord between the ruling party and an opposition party. Usually, the principal officers have always emerged, following the deliberations by the party caucus, in an atmosphere of party supremacy and corresponding party discipline.

    Historically, the position was also zoned to a region. The arrangement often confer on the leaders and stakeholders from the region to play an important role in selection. Since charity begins at home, it is expected that the aspirant would have solve himself to senators from his region before reaching out to those aoutside the zone. Forces outside the zone may be formidable and powerful to be ignored, making stakeholders to dance to their tune.

    However, since 2015, it has become evident that the opposition has been positioned to play a key role in the emergence of the Senate President, particularly when the ruling party is unable to put its house in order or enforce discipline among its federal legislators. Although the voting are done separately, the outcome of the inner elections in the Upper Chamber may significantly affect the voting pattern in the Lower Chamber.

    Many APC senators have not made up their minds on the direction to swing the pendulum. The reason is that President Muhammdu Buhari has not directly declared his preference for the apex parliamentary position.

    Three senators are struggling to occupy the Senate Presidency. They hail from the Northeast. The general understanding in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is that the slot has been zoned to the region.

    Senate Leader Dr. Ahmed Lawan, a former two-time House of Representatives member and third-time senator, is from Yobe State. In 2015, he showed interest in the position. But, he lost to Saraki in controversial circumstances. He is the candidate of the party. To that extent, the intention of the PDP caucus is to abort his dream. Lawan has the support of APC senators from the Southwest, Northcentral, Northwest where his campaign manager, Senator Yahaya Abdullahi, hails from, and the lone Young Party of Nigeria (YPN) senator from Anambra State, Ifeanyi Ubah. Also, the two senators from the South, Senator Aliemekena (Edo North)  and Ovie Omo-Agege (Delta Central) are toeing the party line.

    Lawan’s challengers, Danjuma Goje and Ali Ndume, are not pushovers. Goje is a former Minister of State for Power and Steel and governor of Gombe State. Under his leadership, the APC extended tentacles into the state, which had been a stronghold of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for two decades. He is influential in the ‘former Governors’ bloc in the Senate. Naturally, as a former PDP chieftains, he has links with the main opposition party, whose chieftains have been mounting pressures on him to declare his interest. But, sources close to him said that he is not a desperate aspirant. However, PDP is trying to bring Goje and Ndume together in amity so that one can step down for the other.

    Ndume is always full of bravado. He is from Borno State. He is a survivor of personal battles in the Senate. He was once suspended from the Senate in error. He is the former Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, where he spent eight years before moving up to the Senate. Ndume is not the choice of the APC leadership, which perceives him as a very controversial politician. Although there is also a friction between him and a section of PDP Senate caucus who are still loyal to Saraki, efforts are being made to make the two sides reconcile. Since the PDP Senate caucus is more united than the APC Senate caucus, the PDP caucus cannot be ignored. In fact, some APC leaders perceive Ndume as a spoiler, who joined the race in bad faith. In their view, the senator should have vied for other key offices, following Lawan’s endorsement for the topmost position. But, according to observers, Ndume has the inalienable right to contest.

    With a benefit of hindsight, Senator-elect Dayo Adeyeye urged the APC to promote compromise by reaching out to Goje and Ndume, who will then sacrifice their personal interests for the party’s collective interest.

    The aspirants are reaching out to their colleagues across the six regions. Their campaign organisations are not sleeping on guard. The three aspirants also know that the choice of a deputy Senate President may play a balancing role. The manifestos of the aspirants are similar, except that Lawan has often emphasised the need for respect for party supremacy.

    Read also: Pressure on Goje to accept Lawan for Senate President

    Lawan’s campaign slogan is: ‘a Senate and National Assembly that works for Nigeria.’The Senate Leader said the next Senate should assist the country by helping President Buhari to achieve his agenda in the areas of security, economy, job creation and anti-corruption battle.

    He said while he is conversant with the doctrine of the separation of powers, it should not translate into an unnecessary rift that will cripple harmonious working relations among the organs of government to the detriment of the country.

    Lawan, who described himself as a progressive, observed that the next Senate will be made up of seasoned professionals, technocrats and statesmen, adding that “the experience we have garnered will help us to assist the country through legislation.”Justifying his fitness for the role, he said: “I have been in the National Assembly for almost 20 years. I have served in the House of Representatives for eight years and the Senate for 12 years, I thank God and my people for renewing may mandate.

    “I am a progressive. I was an APP and later, ANPP House of Representatives member and I am now in the APC. I believe in the progressive politics, in ensuring that ordinary people- the masses- get support and opportunities to actualise their potentials and dreams. We should support entrepreneurship and business to grow and thrive for employment to boom.”

    The Senate Leader said his consultation is all-inclusive, stressing that no senator-elect will be taken for granted. He said: “We are not taking anybody for granted. We take the campaign seriously. We are going round to talk to party leaders, senators-elect, stakeholders. We have been talking to PDP senators-elect. We have our limitations as human beings.”

    Lawan said he will always demonstrate his respect for party supremacy, hinting that, if the position is zoned outside the Northeast, he will respect the decision of the party.

    He said President Buhari should be assisted to accomplish his programmes in the areas of security, economic revatilisation, job creation and anti-corruption fight through robust legislation.

    The Senate Leader said the Senate must also legislate to grow an all-inclusive economy and support agricultural development, adding that “our economy can be better, if we make the business environment better to encourage investors.”

    On other aspirants, he said: “We take it as a game. We don’t talk badly or negatively about our colleagues in the race.”