• Friday, March 29, 2024
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UPDATED: Cracks in APC as Ndume challenges party’s adoption of Lawan as Senate President

Lawan 
Cracks within the ranks of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Senate Caucus emerged on Tuesday, as the immediate past Senate Majority Leader, Ali Ndume has faulted the APC’s endorsement of Ahmed Lawan as Senate President in the Ninth Assembly.
Ndume said the right to elect Presiding Officers in the National Assembly rests with senators-elect and not with a political party.
The APC lawmaker who has indicated interest to run for the office of the President of the Senate of the Ninth National Assembly, cited Section 50 (1) (a) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to buttress his argument.
The section stipulates that: “There shall be a President and Deputy President of the Senate who shall be elected by the members of that house from among themselves”.
Addressing journalists at a conference in Abuja on Tuesday, the ranking senator from Borno State, however, explained that he would consult with party elders from his state and many of his colleagues who encouraged him to join the race on next line of action. 
At a dinner with APC senators-elect in the Presidential Villa on Monday, APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole was said to have announced to the 65 APC senators-elect that Lawan had been endorsed by the party for the position of President of the Ninth Senate along with Femi Gbajabiamila as Speaker in the incoming Ninth House of Representatives. President Muhammadu Buhari was said to have given his nod on the matter.
However, Ndume submitted that the decision was taken without consultations with APC senators-elect.
BusinessDay reports that election into Principal Officers’ position in the National Assembly will be held in June this year upon issuance of a proclamation by President Buhari.
Speaking on the matter, Ndume said: “What took place at the presidential dinner in Aso rock on Monday night where Oshiomhole as party chairman, announced Senator Ahmed Lawan and Hon Femi Gbajabiamila as President of the 9th Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives respectively was very shocking to me and many of my colleagues.
“Oshiomhole in making the announcement or endorsement, did not even allow myself or Senators Danjuma Goje (Gombe Central) and Abdullahi Adamu ( Nasarawa west), widely known to be in the race for the position to say anything.
“More disturbing was the fact that even Senator Ahmed Lawan endorsed for the position, was not allowed to make any comment in form of acceptance speech or soliciting for supports from other interested senators”.
Making reference to the 2015 experience where APC lawmakers endorsed by the party failed to emerge as Presiding Officers, Ndume expressed regret that the party was yet to learnt from its past mistakes.
He traced the history of the leadership crisis in the Senate to imposition of Presiding Officers.
“Under PDP, it happened with the imposition of Evans Enwerem and Adolphus Wabara as Senate President at different times and also with Patricia Etteh as Speaker of the House of Representatives in 2007 before the party eventually got it right in the 6th and 7th National Assembly , particularly in the Senate when  Senator David Mark served twice as  President of the Senate through supports in form of votes given to him by fellow senators and not endorsement by party chairman”.
Ndume continued: “For the sake of cohesion and stability among party members as regards aspirations for such positions, what was expected from the party leadership , was to just zone the positions and allow contenders within each of the zones to sort it out either through consensus or shadow election.
“The 109 Elected  Senators and 360  House of Representatives members are the constitutional kingmakers as far as emergence of presiding officers of both chambers are concerned and not national chairman of a ruling party or even the President”.
He, however, declared that his loyalty to the party and in particular, President Muhammadu Buhari, has not been affected by the unilateral decision of Oshiomhole on Monday night.
“I don’t even believe that President Buhari was in the know of what Oshiomhole did because he didnt make any comment on the leadership of the 9th Assembly at the dinner but only greeted us before the organizers of the programme hurriedly called for rendition of the National Anthem.
“We all left the place in shock and disbelief but my commitment and loyalty to the party remains,” he added .