Senate Presidency: Senators Likely To ‘Fight’ Ahmed Lawan

The race on who becomes the next Senate President has commenced proper, as hopefuls for the number three political office in the country are currently making moves to clinch the seat.

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is also not leaving anything to chance as it did in 2015. The party has commenced consultation with senators and members-elect in earnest.

The National Working Committee of the APC met today (Monday) in Abuja, where the National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, insisted that the party must take all leadership positions in both chambers of the 9th National Assembly.

Senators are are also positioning themselves in readiness for the contest. But the ruling party is likely to follow its zoning formula of 2015 that allotted the position of the President of the Senate to the North-east.

Based on the presumed zoning formula of the APC, it is believed that the race is now between Senators Ahmed Lawan (Yobe North, Northeast), Ali Ndume (Borno South, Northeast), and Mohammed Danjuma Goje (Gombe Central, Northeast).

Ahmed Lawan

Lawan, who is top among those gunning for the Senate Presidency, is the current Senate Leader. He flagged off his campaign in Lagos State on Sunday.

The Senate Leader, whose interest in the Senate Presidency dates back to 2015, is reported to have secured the backing of President Muhammadu Buhari to succeed the incumbent Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki.

The APC had endorsed Lawan for the position in 2015 but he failed after Saraki outsmarted him and the ruling party by teaming up with senators of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to emerge Senate President.

If reports that the Senate Leader has gotten the backing of President Buhari are anything, he may still face opposition from other senators-elect such as Ndume and Goje who are likely to contest the position.

Ali Ndume

Ndume is one of the high-ranking senators believed to be eyeing the position. In 2015, he revealed that he wanted to take the position if not for the emergence of Saraki as Senate President.

“I wanted to be the president of the Senate at one time, but we cannot have two presidents in the Senate at the same time and that is why you see that as soon as we have a senate president, I stood by him 100 per cent,” he said.

Ndume, whose enormous legislative experience dates back to 2003 when he was elected to represent the Chibok/Dam- boa/Gwoza Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, will most likely give Lawan a run for his money if he decides to run.

Ndume was among the senators who supported Saraki after he emerged as Senate President against the wish of the APC in 2015. Analysts believe he may give a shot at the position in the 9th Senate.

Danjuma Goje

The two-term governor of Gombe State from 2003 to 2011 is among the front-runners who analysts believe may run for Senate President.

Goje is one of the APC senators who chose to remain in the ruling party when about sixteen senators of the party defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 8th Senate.

He is considered one of the high-ranking APC senators who although hasn’t shown interest in the Senate Presidency, may be a top contender for the seat.