9th Senate Presidency: Kano Senators throw weight behind Lawan

As the race for the leadership of the 9th Senate gathers momentum, Senators from Kano have pledged total support for the aspiration of Senator Ahmad Lawan (Yobe North).

Lawan received the endorsement of Kano senators, yesterday, in Kano when his campaign train visited the Kano residence of former Minister of Education and Kano Central senator-elect, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau.

Speaking with journalists shortly after a closed door meeting with the senators, Senator Barau Jubirin representing Kano North said Kano senators find Lawan eminently qualified to occupy the leadership of the National Assembly.

Besides, Barau opined that the choice of Lawan was not only due to the endorsement of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) but also based on international parliamentary best practices.

“In every parliament, leaders are elected based on ranking, based on experience and once a parliament goes by election and the party that gets the majority in that election produces the leader, and in this case, the majority leader in such a parliament automatically becomes the Senate President or the Speaker, as the case maybe.

“Now, Ahmed Lawan is the current leader and he will be the oldest senator, the most ranked senator in the 9th Senate. He was a two-time member of House of Representatives and four-time member of the Senate. So, he is the most experienced and most ripe for the job of the Senate presidency going by intentional parliamentary best practice,” Barau said.

Shekarau, on his part, said the choice of Lawan was as a result of his track record and long standing performance both in the House of Representatives and Senate.

Shekarau said: “I congratulate Lawan for aspiring to lead the National Assembly. It is one thing to be there, it is another thing to be identified as a leader. It is a challenge and we are all proud of the fact that he is one of those that we have known before that is aspiring to lead the National Assembly.”

Responding, Lawan told journalists that he was in Kano to solicit the support of Shekarau and other senators from Kano to attain the post of Senate President.
Lawan said his aspiration was basically to meet basic social needs of Nigerians through quality legislation.

Senator Kabiru Gaya, representing Kano South, was conspicuously absent at the meeting.

Those on Lawan’s entourage included Senators Yahaya Abdullahi (Kebbi North); Solomon Adeola Olamilekan (Lagos West); Degi-Eremienyo (Bayelsa East) and Lekan Mustapha (Ogun East).