SENATE PRESIDENCY: Again, Ndume insists on contesting, says Lawan was recommended, not imposed

Senator Ali Ndume, of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Borno South, on Wednesday, stated his mission for the incoming Ninth Assembly and also vowed that he will contest for the position of the Senate President on the floor of the red chamber.

The former Senate Leader while addressing Journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, said Senator Ahmad Lawan, APC, Yobe South was only recommended by the Party, but not imposed as there is no provision in the constitution of the Party for imposition.

Ndume while speaking during the briefing on his mission for the incoming Ninth Assembly said; “my mission for the Ninth Senate is not personal. It is part of what we need to do in the polity of this country. First of all, it is wrong for leaders to be given a leader from among themselves.

“They are supposed to decide who among themselves is supposed to be their leader. And that also is taken care of by the Constitution of the Federal Republic, Section 50 (1). It is very clear as to how the Senate leadership should emerge. But let me quickly add that is not to say that I think I am more qualified to be the Senate leader. I am not better than them in any way. Most of them were born with silver spoon, I came up from a very poor background.

Read also: SENATE PRESIDENCY: Forfeit your personal aspirations for our collective interests – Northern youths tell Ndume, Goje

“I am a human being that has rights guaranteed by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which I font compromise. Even before I threw my heart into the ring for the Senate Presidency seat, my people called on me to throw my heart for the position. And I did for many reasons. One, I feel I am qualified. Two, I feel I should be given the chance. Three, the zoning was made to North East deliberately because of the precarious situation that we find ourselves.

“The insurgency has inflicted N9.2 trillion destruction on the North East. And you need somebody who knows where it pinches. We in Borno are in the epicenter of the Book Haram destruction. So it is not like what you will get from the Office of the Senate President but what you can do with it. If you are the Senate President in this country, you will be able to globetrot around, tell people how the problem is because you are in the heart of the problem. You know how it is.

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