• Thursday, March 28, 2024
businessday logo

BusinessDay

 NASS Leadership: PDP adopts Ndume, Bago for Senate President, Speaker

Ali Ndume

 

The main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has endorsed the candidature of Ali Ndume and Umar Bago for the seats of Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives few hours to the inauguration of the Ninth National Assembly.

Both lawmakers are members of the governing All Progressives Congress (APC).

The development comes even as the Presidency and the APC have insisted on the choice of Ahmad Lawan and Ovie Omo-Agege for President and Deputy President of the Senate as well as Femi Gbajabiamila and Ahmed Wase for Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives respectively.

A statement issued by the PDP National Secretary, Umar Ibrahim Tsauri in the early hours of Tuesday, explained that the decision to adopt Lawan and Bago was in the best interest of the country.

The statement was, however, silent on its candidates for the positions of Deputy Senate President and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.

The statement which was released at exactly 1:30am on Tuesday reads: “The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after very extensive consultations with critical stakeholders resolves to support Senator Ali Ndume and Hon. Umar Mohammed Bago for Senate President and Speaker of House of Representatives respectively, ahead of National Assembly inauguration on Tuesday.

“The final resolution on Senator Ndume and Hon. Bago was reached at the end of a decisive meeting of members of the National Working Committee, party leaders, state governors as well as senators and members-elect on the platform of the PDP.

“This decision is in the best interest of the nation, in line with our party’s determination to deepen democracy, ensure a strong and independent legislature, strict compliance with the principle of separation of powers as well as constitutional checks and balances in the polity.

“All senators and members-elect on the platform of the PDP are to be guided accordingly”.

At the weekend, Lawan had claimed that he had the backing of 38 PDP senators-elect.

 

OWEDE AGBAJILEKE, Abuja