•Lawan reportedly joins race as S’South group rejects Akpabio
From Fred Itua, Abuja
Strong indications have emerged that a possible three horse race to the Senate presidency may ensue following the purported endorsement entry of Ahmed Lawan into the race
An ally to Lawan told newsmen that the Senate President has decided to disrupt the system to relaunch himself.
In 2022, during the presidential primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Lawan ran for the presidential ticket against the President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and lost.
Despite the clear provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022, Lawan secured a senatorial ticket, after a hard-fought legal battle.
With his entry, the Senate now has three groups of six lawmakers in pairs to slug it out. The two other group beside Lawan are the Senators Godswill Akpabio/ Jubrin Barau ticket and Senators Orji Uzor Kalu/Abdulaziz Yari ticket/Sani Musa
Akpabio/Barau ticket is the one endorsed by the APC, while that of Kalu/Yari/Musa had risen up in protest, asking for equity, justice and fairness to other geopolitical zones of the country.
The senator who spoke to newsmen in confidence, said Lawan has already set up a structure for the race. He said Lawan is pairing up with Senator Osita Isunaso from Imo West senatorial zone of Imo State to actualise his ambition.
It was learnt that stakeholders supporting Lawan were locked up in a meeting that ended early hours of yesterday morning
The source pointed out that Lawan’s ambition drove him to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International airport on Saturday to welcome the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu on his return to the country from Europe, a development that is rare for a sitting Senate President.
“I can tell you for a fact that the Senate president is running. He has chosen to pair up with Senator Osita Isunaso from Imo State to realize his ambition. Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, Senator Sani Musa, Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State and Chief Emeka Offor are all in his camp to help him actualize the objective,” the source said.
Meanwhile, South-South Women Compatriot, yesterday, kicked against Akpabio, saying he is a threat to women across the country.
The group which said it constituted about 60 percent of women in the country declared him unfit to head the red chamber, citing many reasons to justify its stand.
Addressing newsmen in Abuja, Imma Ubong, National Women Leader of the group said Nigerian women will not feel safe should the former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs emerge Senate president.
“We the Nigerian women will never allow the image of the country to be dented.”
“Akpabio should submit himself to the Economy and Financial Crimes Commission like other politicians, who have done so in the past, and who were later jailed or set free. The bottom line was that they were able to clear their names,” Ubong said, adding that the votes of Nigerian women who contributed to making Tinubu the president-elect must be respected.”
“During the presidential election, we came out en-mass to vote for the president-elect, Bola Tinubu. Will our votes count for nothing that somebody who has no regard for women is made the head and chairman of the National Assembly?
“We call on Tinubu to come out and tell Nigerians his position because some reports have been alleging that he is the one behind Akpabio. He should tell Nigerians now.
“The position of Senate President is a serious issue that should be left in the hands of serious people. Names of corrupt people with files in EFCC shouldn’t be mentioned when a serious issue like the President of the Senate is being debated. The President, Muhammadu Buhari, and the president-elect, Bola Tinubu shouldn’t take Nigerians for granted.
“The National Assembly at this point needs an intelligent, vibrant, and focus leader. The nation is presently at its lowest, and this is not the time to play with its destiny. This is the time for the red chamber to have men and women, whose focus and mission is to rescue the nation.”
She further reminded Tinubu of the enormous task awaiting him saying, “You don’t need to be told that the nation’s debt at the moment is about N77 trillion. You need a serious National Assembly led by a serious-minded person to rescue the situation. Serious-minded leaders in the National Assembly will help to pull Nigeria from the wood. This is not the time to put the parliament in the hands of unserious people, but leaders that are ready to build.”
Other leaders of the group included Mary Ogbebor, Ijeoma Anya, Biobele Abbey, and Abinla Alabraba of Edo, Delta, Rivers, and Bayelsa States respectively.