Senate Leader: APC okays Lawan choice over Ndume

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has endorsed the replacement of the former Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume, with Senator Ahmed Lawan.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, stated that it viewed the development as a concrete expression of faith by the APC Senate Caucus in efforts to resolve the lingering issues that trailed the election of Senate leadership.

“We believe this is a major step forward in our efforts to reunite the various interest groups in that Senate election, thereby presenting a common legislative front for our great party.

“We are particularly delighted that the consultations that were initiated towards the end of 2015 between the party caucuses in the National Assembly and the party executives as well as other leading stakeholders of our party has yielded these results and the Senate has demonstrated its willingness to finally submit to the will of the party in this regard.

“With this development therefore, we are confident that the issues arising from the elections in the Senate in 2015 have been put to rest,” Abdullahi said in a statement issued in Abuja.

The party, which congratulated Senator Lawan on his election by the APC caucus in the Senate, voiced hope that he would use his vast experience and knowledge to enhance legislative works and its agenda of change.

The APC also assured Nigerians that it would continue to work under the leadership and guidance of President Muhammadu Buhari to resolve any other pending issues that might have affected the party at different levels.

The party said with this development, it had demonstrated its resilience and capacity to resolve its internal differences in order to realise the true change and transformation that it promised Nigerians.

The APC also thanked Senator Ndume for his service and sacrifice to the party, which, it added, would not be forgotten.

It recalled that the party leadership had resolved that Senator Lawan be compensated with the position of the Senate Leader soon after the issue of election in the Senate occurred.

He said the directive was not fully complied with at the time, but expressed happiness to see the change effected, stressing that it represents a significant progress in efforts to build a strong and united party.