SENATE LEADERSHIP: Ndume not giving up without a fight, gets backing of Borno elders

A group said to be made up of governors, former ministers and other leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Borno State, Concerned Borno Citizens, have declared their unalloyed support for Senator Ali Ndume’s aspiration to become the next Senate President.

The group has therefore called on President Muhammadu Buhari to consider Ndume, a former Senate Majority Leader, for the position. It asked the President to also recognise that Borno state gave the APC over 90 per cent of votes during the just concluded general election.

The group’s demand is coming despite APC leadership’s endorsement of Senator Ahmed Lawan, the current Majority Leader of the Senate, to become the Senate President of the 9th National Assembly.

In a statement by the group on Monday and signed by its spokesman, Alhaji Yakubu Umar, Concerned Borno Citizens, claimed that certain dark forces were seriously working on a plot to hijack the leadership of the 9th National Assembly for their selfish political gains.

It argued that if the plot is allowed, it could be highly counterproductive to the policies of the Buhari Presidency in its second term.

“We decided to come out publicly to mobilise support for Ndume last month when he confided in us that he had discussed his ambition with Mr. President.

“President Buhari did not only agree that Ndume should contest but also endorsed him; which was what encouraged him to step out in preparation for the contest,” the statement said.

According to the group, Buhari should not abandon Ndume, not minding the political pressure from certain quarters.

“President Buhari in December last year unreservedly made an undertaking to handsomely reward any party member who works very hard for him to win his re-election bid.

“Our group which boasts of former governors, former ministers and other leaders of the APC in Borno State want Ndume to be considered for the position because our state gave the party over 90 per cent of the votes from the state in the just concluded election.

“President Buhari should not suffer further sabotage by allowing a wrong person to be elected as the Ninth Senate President.

READ ALSO: SENATE PRESIDENT: APC admits favoured candidate Lawan having on-going consultations with PDP

“The President should personally subject antecedents of Senators Ndume and Lawan to scrutiny to determine who is more loyal, experienced or qualify to be Senate president.

“In terms of lawmaking administrative experience, Ndume was first a Minority Leader in the House of Representatives and later the Majority Leader in the Senate before Lawan,” the group said.

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