On Senate Presidency, APC replies Senator Ali Ndume, says "you have to respect party supremacy"

During a meeting with APC senators-elect this week, the governing party and President Muhammadu Buhari endorsed Senator Ahmed Lawan (APC, Yobe North) for the position of Senate President, as the 9th senate prepares for inauguration and the election of its principal and presiding officers.

Senator Ali Ndume is going against the party's consensus candidate for the senate president job (ChannelsTV) Pulse Nigeria

Ndume has told everyone who cares to listen that the APC’s adoption of Lawan is unconstitutional and that he has the right to contest the position like every other lawmaker in the upper legislative chamber.

Ndume says he consulted Tinubu, Buhari

In an interactive session with journalists this week, Ndume said he consulted with President Buhari and national leader of the APC Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, before declaring his intention to lead the senate.

“The senate is supposed to be an institution. Clearly by the constitution, it’s supposed to be independent. In the traditional institutions where Kings, Emirs and Chiefs are not appointed, they are elected. If you are a Prince, that does not guarantee that you will be the King. They are what they call the kingmakers.

“And the kingmakers in this our case is supposed to be the senators. So , now, who owns the loyalty of the beneficiary? Is it the senators or is it the party? Or is it Adams Oshiomhole? It was Adams Oshiomhole that just threw it to us that Ahmed Lawan should be our next senate president.

Senator Ahmed Lawan is the APC's consensus candidate for the Senate President position (Daily Post) Senator Ahmed Lawan Pulse Nigeria

“I don’t believe that that is truly the position of Mr. President. Because, let me add that before I went into this contest, I consulted with Mr. President and he gave me the go ahead. I consulted with Tinubu, he gave me the go ahead. That was immediately after the primaries.

“This country needs a senate that belongs to Nigerians”, added Ndume.

APC responds

However, during a press briefing on Wednesday, March 27, 2019, APC spokesperson, Lanre Issa Onilu said “in reference to Senator Ali Ndume who has come out to say he wants to contest, he’s merely expressing his fundamental rights. But those rights are also taken care of the day you have subscribed to a particular political party, in this case, APC.

"The day he subscribed to be a member of APC, he signed up to obey the position of the party. And we take what has happened in the last 24 hours as an expression of how badly the news hit him. He is a human being. But we are also conscious of the fact that Senator Ali Ndume is a respected member of APC.

APC Chairman Adams Oshiomhole has made it clear that it's Lawan or nothing (Guardian) ece-auto-gen

"He is a leader in this party and we know he knows the right thing to do and on both sides, right things will be done. And that also includes any other person who has such grievances.

“Members of the APC are allowed to ventilate whatever their views are, because that is democracy. So, whatever decision we take at the end of the day, would be after you have been given ample opportunity to exercise your right. But at the end of the day, party supremacy sets in."

The PDP has warned the APC that the position of senate president is not for the governing majority party alone, suggesting that it could well throw in its own candidate even though it is the minority political party in parliament.

During its press briefing, APC spokesperson Onilu also made it clear that the governing party won't hand Chairmanship of "juicy" committees to any lawmaker belonging to the PDP.

Pulse understands that Hon Femi Gbajabiamila (APC, Surulere 1 constituency) has emerged APC consensus candidate for the position of Speaker of the House of Representatives.

The APC controls majority seats in both chambers of Nigeria's 469-member national assembly.