By Lexi Elo
Given conflicting media accounts surrounding the issue of the prospective candidate for the Senate presidency from the All Progressive Congress (APC), the APC Unity Forum affirmed the supremacy of the party while noting that the interest of Nigerian remains paramount.
The group noted that though no one can be blamed for personal ambition towards the exalted office of the Senate Presidency, however such ambition cannot be superior to the stability, credibility and cohesiveness of the National Assembly.
In a statement available to Sundiata Post and signed by Senator Robert Ajayi (South West), Senator Bukar Abba Ibrahim (North East), Senator Barnabas Gemade (North Central) and Senator Abu Ibrahim (North West), the group noted that it subscribes to the notion that everyone must work with and within the party, APC, to resolve any contentious issue.
The group noted that the alliance forged by Senators Lawan and Akume alongside other members offers the APC the best window of opportunity to resolve the issue of the Senate presidency and take to a higher standard from the legacy left by the 7th Senate of the Federal Republic.
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According to the statement “This response has become necessary because we do not want to portray our party as a collection of desperate, indiscipline and selfish people. Rather, we believe that party preservation and the overall interest of the party should be paramount at this point.
“For the records, there was no time before the retreat, during the retreat or after the retreat where and when the issue of a primary election to pick the Senate President was tabled or agreed upon. Nowhere in the party leadership structure can we find the mandate for the conduct of any election with regard to the emergence of the Senate Presidency candidate. Any contrary information, out there in the Social or any kind of media is false, self –serving and intented to mislead the public.”
The statement continued “As far as we know, the National Chairman of the party, John Oyegun gave the advice that we all meet in an effort to build a consensus among the different camps towards finding an harmonious solution. That was how far it went. There was no election that was called. It was now left for the APC members at the retreat to internally bond together to find a workable solution. To this end, different Caucuses met from the entire geo-political zone to discuss the candidacy of those contending for the Senate Presidency.”
It added that after the caucusing, members of the Unity Forum comprising of Senators from the North East, North Central, North West and South West reached a resolution to support the Senator Lawan Ahmad and Senator George Akume ticket for the Senate President and Deputy Senate President respectively.
Sundiata Post gathered that about 37 Senators have agreed to the Lawan/Akume arrangement.
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