Senator Ali Ndume Defeated Senator Ahmad Lawan In Mock Poll

According to Vanguard, the end of marathon meetings, party members from the North-East caucus of the party insisted on pushing forward their choice of Senator Ndume over the party’s preferred Senator Lawan as Senate Leader, which was zoned to the North-East.

The insistence of APC North-East senators was despite efforts, including an intervention by the immediate past President of the Senate, David Mark, to break the logjam in the ruling party, which had seen senators aligned to Senate President Bukola Saraki reject the party’s list of candidates for the four principal offices on offer to the party.

A list of the names of four senators chosen by the party, which had been with the Senate President, would have been announced alongside that of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, senators today, but for the last minute rejection of Lawan by APC North-East caucus.

However, the poll was quickly dismissed by Lawan who said he was not part of it as he had no knowledge of the purported exercise. The strong insistence by Senators Lawan and George Akume, who were not at the mock poll, not to recognise the outcome of the exercise and subsequent protest by his supporters against it, as well as reported personal phone call to Saraki by Senator Mark to handle the situation with caution, forced Senator Saraki, to immediately convene another meeting of APC senators. 

When contacted, Lawan, dissociated himself from the election conducted by the North-East caucus, stressing that he would align himself with the position of the party. He said: “I am not aware of any election. The party had spoken it is now left for the Senate President to make the announcement.” Earlier, at the floor of the Senate during plenary session, the move by leadership of APC to nominate party men for the remaining four leadership positions of the Senate meant for the party was rebuffed by the Senate President, Bukola Saraki.

 

Vanguard