By Wole Oye, ABUJA – Senator Ahmad Lawan from Yobe state has emerged the President of the Senate, following the inauguration of the 9th National Assembly on Tuesday.
Lawan, the preferred candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, defeated his arch rival, Senator Ali Ndume from Borno state.
Dr Yahaya Abdullahi nominated Senator-Elect Ahmad Lawan, seconded by Senator Adeola Solomon Olamilekan. The nominee, Lawan accepted to stand for election and subsequently addressed his colleagues.
Senator-Elect Ishiaku Agbo from Adamawa north nominated Senator Ali Ndume, seconded by Senator-Elect Nfigi from Rivers state, following which Ndume also accepted the nomination and addressed the gathering.
Prompt News Online recalls that the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, had in the early hours of Tuesday, endorsed the candidature of Senator Ali Ndume and Hon Umar Bago, for the positions of Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives respectively.
Justifying the party’s position, PDP National Secretary, Sen. Umar Tsauri, had stated, “The final resolution on Sen. Ndume and 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.”
