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Tag: Senate Presidency

  • Senate Presidency: ‘Count us out of allege use of EFCC to harass Senators’

    The Ahmed Lawan campaign organization for Senate Presidency has distanced itself from alleged use of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) operatives to harass and intimidate senators and top officials of the National Assembly over election of Senate President.

    The allegation may not be unconnected with the invitation and interrogation of the Clerk to the National Assembly, Mohammed Sani-Omolori, by the anti-graft agency last Tuesday.

    Omolori was said to have been interrogated about financial dealings in the National Assembly and the voting method for the election of the presiding officer of the National Assembly.

    Spokesman of Ahmad Lawan Campaign Organisation, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, who spoke on the issue, said that they have no hand whatsoever in the allegation that EFCC is being used to harass senators to change the rule for election of presiding officers.

    Abdullahi said that there was no need to harass anybody especially when Lawan’s contact and mobilisation committee is steadily reaching out to senators-elect.

    He added that they are solidly on the ground and working round the clock to deliver their candidate on the day of inauguration.

    Abdullahi who said that their preoccupation is to deliver Lawan on the day of inauguration insisted that allegation of use of EFCC to harass senators is baseless and unfounded.

    He said, “This is news to me. I am just hearing that officials of the National Assembly were invited by the EFCC.

    “But what I can tell is that we are not aware and we have no hand in what you are alleging that we are using EFCC to harass them to change the rules for us or to harass our colleagues.

    REad also: Deputy Senate President: Omo-Agege ranked best choice

    “We have been working and our contact and mobilisation committee has reached out to our colleagues. We are taking our campaign and we are not taking our chances likely.

    “We have no reason to harass anyone or do anything to scuttle the inauguration. We are solidly on ground and working round the clock to deliver our candidate on the day of inauguration. This is our preoccupation and whatever you have been told is not true.

    “We are selling Lawan’s strong areas to our colleagues which integrity, intelligence and capability. We are also selling our agenda to our colleagues to buy into what we intend to do for for the 9th Senate.

    “I know that I am part of the outgoing Senate. To be frank, there were so many things we didn’t do right. So, our plan is to ensure that Lawan’s presidency improves on that. These are the issues.

    “With what we have done, on that day of inauguration, by the grace of God, we shall carry the day and Lawan will emerge as President of the 9th Senate. No cause for alarm my brother. We are marching forward,”

  • Senate Presidency: Goje, Ndume, Lawan lobby PDP senators

    Senate presidential aspirants Danjuma Goje, Ali Ndume and Ahmed Lawan have intensified their lobbying of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senators, ahead of the election of principal officers of the National Assembly.

    The three All Progressives Congress (APC) senators intensified their consultations with the PDP caucus, following official clearance by the party leadership.

    Goje, Ndume and Lawan are from the Northeast, underscoring the affirmation of the zoning of the number three position to the region.

    However, despite the zoning, there is no consensus on the selection of likely beneficiary among senators from the zone.

    Although the APC national chairman,   Adams Oshiomhole, has declared that the ruling party should produce the key officers of the Senate, there is an understanding that the numerical strength of the PDP senators is a factor in the election.

    The APC has 65 senators-elect, but their ranks are divided, owing to their antagonistic positions over the party’s endorsement of Dr. Lawan as the anointed candidate.

    Although PDP has 43 senators-elect, parliamentary sources said they are more United, and hence, likely to produce a bloc vote.

    Although the Young Progressive Party (YPP) has a senator, Ifeanyi Ubah, the lone senator has been gravitating towards the APC’s direction. He accompanied Lawan to Lagos during his consultative visit to the Southwest.

    The three aspirants have appointed contact persons to open talks with PDP lawmakers for the purpose of strategic collaboration, ahead of the poll.

    However, the sources cannot confirm whether monetary inducement will be a weapon of lobbying as the lawmakers warn up for the crucial in-house election.

    A source said the antecedents of Goje and Ndume, who were defectors from the PDP, has enhanced their consultations with the PDP caucus.

    Although Lawan has never associated with PDP in the 20 years that he has  been in the National Assembly, he has changed tactics and been reaching out to the opposition lawmakers.

    According to a source, the three aspirants who have been lobbying their PDP counterparts have not promised anything to the PDP caucus other than the promise of ‘inclusion.’

    A PDP chieftain said the main opposition party is maintaining keen interest in the developments heralding the emergence of the new Senate President and other principals.

    “Unlike 2015, the PDP is not bidding for the deputy Senate president. But, with the unity currently existing in the PDP Senate caucus, a bloc vote in a particular direction will be significant.

    Read also: Northeast stakeholders endorse Goje for Senate presidency

    “I know that PDP leadership will take a position when it decides to meet with its senators before the election takes place,” he added.

    An APC senator, who spoke on a condition of anonymity, said: “The reality is that none of the three who want to head the Senate can ignore the PDP. The party has endorsed Lawan, only senators-elect will be there to vote and elect a new Senate President. Those of us supporting Lawan in the spirit of party supremacy have agreed to extend our tentacles. If we don’t go to the PDP senators, the other two will go. Therefore, I can confirm that we are interacting with them(PDP senators) on this issue.”

    Also, Goje’s old allies in PDP have enlisted in his bid for the highest parliamentary office, said a source.

    “But, Goje is cautious. He is in a dilemma. He is sensitive to the party’s position  on Lawan’s endorsement. Unlike Lawan and Ndume, it will not be difficult for Goje to penetrate the PDP and secure their support. He is in the race. But, he is not as aggressive as Lawan and Ndume,”added the source.

    PDP senator-elect have also told the contact persons that they will resist any attempt to change the Senate Standing Order on the open secret ballot system.

    Yesterday in Lagos, Ndume confirmed that he has started lobbying PDP senators, saying that they are critical to the proposed exercise.

    He told reporters that, as far as the election of the Senate Predident is concerned, all senators-elect, whether of APC or PDP, are very important.

    Ndume said he has put into motion the machinery for reaching out to PDP Senate caucus, following the clearance by the APC national leadership.

    He said: “I have the number of all the 109 senators-elect.”

     

  • Senate Presidency: Aspirant woos PDP Senators-elect with projects

    An aspirant to the office of the President of the Senate in the 9th Assembly who is currently chairman of one of the committees saddled with budgetary process has allegedly made proposals of One hundred million naira (N100, 000, 000) worth of constituency projects to each of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Senators -elect. The proposed projects are to be sited in their constituency, investigations have shown. Sources close to some of the newly elected legislators confirmed that these constituency projects are among   some of the mouth-watering inducements offered to the affected Senators-elect ahead of the inauguration of the 9th Assembly.

    A PDP Senator-elect confided in a ranking Senator that he was invited to submit his own constituency project worth N200, 000, OOO in spite of the fact that he is yet to be sworn-in. However, investigations revealed that not all the Senators-elect benefitted from the gesture as one All Progressive Congress (APC) Senator disclosed that he was not approached to submit any constituency project. “I am aware that some of my colleagues have been accorded this gesture but so far none of us in the APC has been approached” he stated.

    Asked why, he said it may not unconnected with their decision to solidly support Ahmed Lawan , the APC endorsed candidate to the office of President of the Senate. “We are going to give our leader block votes because he is the choice of the party. We are toing the party line this time around,’ he affirmed. Speaking on condition of anonymity another PDP Senator-elect who claimed to have benefitted from the provision of constituency project revealed that he would not be swayed by such gesture knowing that he will merely waste his vote and create bad blood in the process, since the APC which has a greater number of Senators has settled for Ahmed Lawan.

     

  • Senate presidency: ‘Let Lawan be’

    A group, the Citizens Consultative Assembly (CICON) has described as unnecessary, the opposition from some Nigerians to the endorsement of Dr.Ahmed Lawan by his party, All Progressives Congress (APC), as the next Senate President.

    The group said in a statement by its executive director, Clarion Augustine,that the APC has done nothing wrong in endorsing  Lawan.

    “The practice across the world is to have the political party with the controlling   majority to produce the Senate President or the Speaker of the Congress,” CICON said.

    It added: “Election is done openly on the floor of the hallowed   chambers in the most transparent manner.

    “We oppose the idea of secret ballot for the simple reason that legislators anywhere in the world represent specific constituencies, and, therefore, can’t on their own, take decisions as to who leads the National Assembly.

    “In climes where representative democracy has taken firm roots, a lawmaker’s  relevance is measured by the decision they make on the floor of the hallowed  chamber.

    “Even at that ,  the lawmaker  is duty bound to consult his constituents. Nigeria CAN’T therefore, be any different. We insist strongly that the impending election of the leadership of the Senate should not deviate from the global legislative practice of openly electing their leaders.

    “It is against this background that we throw our support to the  APC as the party with the most Senators and Representatives to produce the leaders of both chambers.”

  • Northeast stakeholders endorse Goje for Senate presidency

    Senator Muhammad Danjuma Goje’s ambition to become the Senate Presidency in the Ninth Senate yesterday received a major boost with the endorsement by the North East Consultative Forum (NESF).

    Five other groups in the Northeast have also reportedly supported the former Gombe State governor.

    A source close to Goje noted that baring last minute changes, the former governor “is likely to declare his interest for the exalted position of Senate President this weekend or next week”.

    A statement by the NESF said the groups endorsed Goje after an emergency meeting at the Zaranda Hotel, Bauchi, on Wednesday.

    It listed the groups to as North East Elders’ Mobilisation Forum, APC National Youth Caucus, Borno Discussion Circle, Gombe Political Associations and North East Youth Awareness for Good Governance.

    “To this effect, the groups have written the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, on their endorsement of Goje,” the statement said.

    In a letter, dated April 17, titled: “North East stakeholders endorse Goje,” the conveners, Mustapha Saidu and Alhaji Bello Ambo, hailed APC for zoning the Senate presidency to the Northeast.

    They said: “Following very wide consultations among stakeholders, party members and North East Consultative Forum and after careful assessment of his contribution to the party and Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, we hereby present to you Senator Muhammad Danjuma Goje as the choice of the people of the Northeast for the Senate President of the Ninth Assembly.”

    Also, A Northcentral group, under the aegis of North Central Alliance for Danjuma Goje, has expressed its support for the former Gombe State governor to become the Senate President in the Ninth Assembly.

    Addressing reporters in Kaduna, the group’s chairman, Nasiru Isiyaku, said: “The intimidating profile of the Gombe Central senator kept rising like one bright star in a million galaxies. Senator Goje, who is eminently qualified, has demonstrated to his constituents that providing good governance is not rocket science.

    “Senator Goje, as a faithful member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) family in Gombe State, has since raised the bar of servant leadership. This we can all see in the numerous youths empowerment programmes he launched, while also awarding contracts and solely financing the construction of several beneficial infrastructural projects across his constituency.

    “Equally, Senator Goje, as the chairman of various Senate committees for eight years, doggedly fought to bridge the yawning gap in employment and infrastructural distribution to various states and geo-political zones…”

     

     

     

     

     

  • Borno elders: we didn’t endorse Ndume for Senate Presidency

    The Borno Elders Forum has denied the purported endorsement of Ali Ndume (Borno South) for the senate presidency.

    The forum said doing so would amount to splitting other Borno citizens like a member of House of Representatives from Biu, Betara Aliyu who is aspiring to become speaker.

    Secretary of the forum, Bulama Mali Gubio, said the clarification became necessary in view of repeated media reports that have prompted diverse reactions and enquiries from citizens of the state.

    Gubio said: “First of all, the Borno Elders forum holds Distinguished Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume in very high esteem as an accomplished son of Borno State.

    “However, the forum will want to issue clarification to forestall any more confusion. Last week, there were media reports claiming that Borno elders had endorsed the aspiration of Senator Ndume for the President of the ninth Senate.

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

    “When we saw that report, we felt there was no need to respond to it since Ndume is a son of Borno and like other sons and daughters he is entitled to the support of Borno elders.

    “To our surprise, this week, we saw another round of media report claiming that Borno elders have for the second time endorsed Ndume’s aspiration.

    “Although the reports bears the names of other people in the state, it is however public knowledge that whenever the phrase ‘Born elders’ is mentioned, what immediately comes to mind is the Borno Elders Forum, which has gained prominence as a pressure group that promotes and defends the interest of Borno sons and daughters.

    The elders added: “For instance, we are aware the one of our sons from Biu, Hon. Betara Aliyu is aspiring to become Speaker of the House of Representatives.

    “If people assume that Borno elders have endorsed Ndume, it is like saying we are opposed to Betara’s aspiration because it will be politically foolish to endorse two sons for the Senate Presidency and Speaker of House of Reps at the same time.

    “We also know that some of our sons have open and quiet aspirations. In addition to that, in our political history, Borno and Yobe states are one and the same.

    “Yobe was carved out of Borno in 1991. Majority of Yobe leaders have houses in Maiduguri. Yes, sons and daughters of Borno and Yobe have the legitimate rights to pursue their political aspirations but we elders of Borno and Yobe normally do not come out publicly to endorse anyone because whatever comes to Borno is celebrated by the people of Yobe and whatever comes to Yobe is celebrated by us in Borno.

    “We don’t oppose each other in public. It is against our tradition as elders of Borno and Yobe states to oppose our sons. We support all of them or we keep silent.

    “I will call on whoever is using the name of Borno elders to please understand our history and promote our peace and unity.”

  • 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.”

  • Senate Presidency: Shettima backs Lawan

    Borno State Governors Kashim Shettima 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 that 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 that 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, “Thank you so much. I have very little to say. Ordinarily I am not even supposed to come here because there are three things to be combated.

    “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 mobilize 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 maybe Senator-elect Ifeanyi Ubah who brought in an anonymous party and won.

    READ ALSO: Senate Presidency: Adeyeye urges APC to discuss with Ndume, Goje, others

    “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.

    “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.”

  • Senate presidency: Lawan ‘ll ensure all-inclusive Senate, says Abdullahi

    SENATE Committee on Media and Public Affairs Chairman Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi yesterday assured that Senator Ahmad Lawan as Senate President will ensure an all-inclusive upper chamber, irrespective of political party leaning.

    Abdullahi, who is also the spokesperson Ahmad Lawan for Senate President, assured that the Senate Leader would garner the votes of more than 73 senators on the day of inauguration.

    He told reporters in Abuja that the aspiration of Lawan is to have a Senate that would work for Nigeria and Nigerians.

    The senator said Lawan has been working assiduously to talk to senators-elect across party lines on why he should be elected.

    Abdullahi noted that given the track record of Senator Lawan in his 16 years of being in the National Assembly, the Yobe North senator understands the feelings of the opposition “because he was one of them before and he will not abuse that privilege”.

    He said the notion by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) senators that they would be excluded, should be withdrawn forthwith.

    What they were planning to do, he said, is to have a Senate that would be for all senators.

    Read also: Senate set to override Buhari’s veto on two bills

    Abdullahi said: “Senator Ahmad Lawan is leaving no stone unturned in talking to his colleagues across party lines. Let me say very clearly that the nature of parliament is such that you cannot shut anybody out. It is not possible.

    “I want Nigerians to look at those of us who are the actors and take note of what we say. That is the most important thing. I want to submit and assure Nigerians that by the special grace of God, if Senator Ahmad Lawan gets there, he will run an all-inclusive government because the Senate is the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

    But, a group of youths in the All Progressives Congress (APC) under the auspices of the APC Youths Solidarity Network yesterday urged the party’s leadership and the Presidency to throw open the position of the Senate President to all elected senators from the Northeast geopolitical zone.

    The group said this will ensure equity justice and fair play.

    Addressing a news conference in Abuja yesterday, the group said the party must take concrete steps to avoid the mistakes of 2015.

    It alleged that anointing the Senate Leader, as the Senate President would not augur for the party.

    They alleged that Senate Lawan is currently hobnobbing with members of the opposition PDP, promising the positions in the 9th Senate, adding that while they believe that he has the right to aspire to the seat, the senators should be allowed to choose their leaders.

    Spokesman of the youths, Shuaibu Usman,  claimed that as stakeholders in the Nigerian project and having worked for the success of the party, they believe that President Muhammadu Buhari deserves a National Assembly that will not sabotage his second term in office.

  • Senate Presidency: erring senators risk expulsion from APC

    If the All Progressives Congress (APC) embraces Senator Abu Ibrahim’s suggestion, senators who go against the party’s decision on the choice of the next Senate President will be expelled.

    The Katsina South senator spoke with reporters in Abuja.

    Ibrahim, who is Chairman, Senate Committee on Labour and Productivity, noted that in democracy, “once any one chooses a party, you must abide by the rules of that party at all times or leave”.

    In his view, there will be no need for individuals who disobey the party to remain because “that is an act of indiscipline which no party should condone”.

    The senator said: “First of all, we have to remind ourselves that it is a political party which gives an individual the ticket to participate in an election. Once such a ticket is given, it is the caucus of the party in the National Assembly that will determine the emergence of a candidate that eventually become the leader of the Senate through voting.

    “Specifically, the party decides which zone should produce candidate for the position and when such decision is taken every member must abide by that decision. No one can come out of a caucus meeting’s voting to say he would not accept the decision of the party on such election process.

    “As a loyal party member, anyone who dares the party’s decision and come out to connive with PDP to truncate the decision of the party will be expelled from the party.

    “As a matter of fact, if the party gives a ticket to an individual and he/she is assisted with resources to contest and win election, the person must naturally obey the rules of the party at all times.

    “In democracy, once you choose a party, you must abide by the rules of that party at all times or else you leave. There will be no need for individuals who disobey the party’s decision and remain in such a party.   That is an act of indiscipline, which no party should condone.”

    Asked if APC could reach out to PDP senators to seek support for its candidate, Ibrahim said: “You see, there is no need to reach out to the opposition minority members because APC, as a party, has a clear majority to decide straight away who should become Senate President.

    Read also: Oyo APC will bounce back, says Ajimobi’s wife

    “PDP, as a party, played this game for the whole 16 years when it was in power between 1999 and 2015.  All the PDP members, who are now talking today, including Senators Abaribe, James Manager, Ekweremadu and others, know the rules of this game.

    “It is sheer mischief, greed and a great insult for any PDP member to now claim that every member in the National Assembly has a right to contest. This is not done anywhere in the world. Not in U.K, U.S.A or anywhere else.

    “David Mark was Senate President between 2007 and 2015 when his party was in power and the majority party in Senate. Nobody from the opposition parties contested along with him. Now he thinks numerical strength does not matter again but it did when he was the Senate President. What an absurdity.

    “The leadership of the National Assembly now belongs exclusively to APC in the two chambers because the party has a clear majority and does not have to consult the opposition members to pick its principal officers. It is never done anywhere in the world and it will not be done this time around.

    “The minority leadership in the National Assembly is there for the PDP to choose their leaders. No one is interfering with them in choosing their leadership.

    “No one from APC will go there and contest to be a member, so why should anyone from PDP want to contest for majority leadership position?   Well, it happened the last time in 2015 when Senator Ekweremadu contested the position of the deputy Senate President. He clearly undermined the APC in that exercise but this time around no one can try that and succeed.”