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Tag: Lawan

  • BREAKING: Implosion looming in APC over imposition of Lawan as consensus candidate

    BREAKING: Implosion looming in APC over imposition of Lawan as consensus candidate

    All Progressives Congress (APC) is about to implode following the announcement of Senate President Ahmed Lawan as consensus presidential aspirant by the National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu.

    TheNewsGuru com, (TNG) reports Adamu made the announcement at the meeting of National Working Committee (NWC) on Monday in Abuja.

    Other aspirants including Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Dr. Kayode Fayemi and David Umahi, among others will however be allowed to contest the primary at the convention holding tomorrow at the Eagle Square, Abuja.

    Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi state a major aspirant rejected the move and insisted other aspirants must be given a level playing ground to compete.

    Yahaya Bello who was seen angrily storming out of the venue of the APC governors meeting vowed to address the press on the development

    Adamu’s adoption of Lawan as consensus candidate is against the position of 11 APC northern Governors, who endorsed that power must shift to the South after President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure.

    Adamu told the National Working Committee that he arrived at the choice of Lawan after consultation with President Buhari.

    All the signals of an imminent implosion in the ruling APC are beginning to come to bear.

     

  • [BREAKING] Presidential Primaries: Ahmad Lawan is the consensus candidate – APC Chairman Adamu declares

    [BREAKING] Presidential Primaries: Ahmad Lawan is the consensus candidate – APC Chairman Adamu declares

    As President Muhammadu Buhari holds a crucial meeting with northern governors of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the National Chairman of the party has announced Senate President Ahmed Lawan as the consensus candidate of the party.

    Adamu made the announcement at the meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC) on Monday in Abuja.

    Other aspirants including Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Dr Kayode Fayemi and David Umahi, among others will, however, be allowed to contest the primary at the convention holding tomorrow at the Eagle Square, Abuja.

    Progressive Governors Forum Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi); chairman of Northern Governors Forum Simon Lalong; Abubakar Baduru (Jigawa) and Babagana Zulum (Borno).

    Others are: Aminu Bello Masari (Katsina); Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa); Bello Matawale (Zamfara); Mallam Nasir el-Rufai (Kaduna); Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano); Yahaya Inuwa (Gombe); Abubakar Bello (Niger) and Mai Mala Buni (Yobe).

  • APC Presidential Primary: Umahi, Lawan agree to work hand in hand to win

    Senate President, Dr Ahmad Lawan and Ebonyi State Governor, Engr David Nweze Umahi have reached an agreement to win the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential election primary holding on June 6-8.

    TheNewsGuru.com, (TNG) reports both politicians made the promise Saturday evening when Lawan visited Umahi in his Abuja residence.

    Speaking during the visit, the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, urged Umahi to support him or whoever emerges the presidential candidate as the APC should be united to win the 2023 presidential election.

    He said: “We have always spoken about the need for our party to continue to play the role God designed for us. To the glory of God, the All progressives Congress is the biggest party n Nigeria today. Our party is in control of the Presidency, the two chambers of the National Assembly, a number of state governments across the country and so on.

    “It is our common belief in our party that this trend should continue so that in the 2023 general elections, Nigerians should vote for our party to produce the next President, who will replace President Muhammadu Buhari when he completes his tenure on May 29, 2023.

    “The National Assembly should also have majority Senators and Reps members. From 22 government houses, we hope to increase the number. This requires us to continue to be focused in all situations. We will continue to insist on brotherhood. No contest should make us fail.

    “I came here to tell you that even though you are an aspirant like I am, we are all aspirants akin of the same father and mother. It is everyone’s desire who aspires to be the most successful. But at the end of the day, our wish is for our party to be united.

    “After our convention, when the winner of the presidential primaries emerges, we expect the rest of the aspirants to show solidarity, to remain committed to the party; to ensure that we win the general election.

    “Therefore, I want to assure you that if you emerge in the convention, you will have me as your number one supporter, because I believe that the ideals, the ideology and philosophy of APC are the same in our hearts. Therefore, it is my duty to ensure the success of our party at the polls. Similarly, if God makes it possible for me to emerge, I am sure that you will be by my side throughout the campaign for APC to win the general election.”

    In his response to the Senate President’s speech, Governor Umahi said that the Senate President can count on his unalloyed support if he wins the primary election as he will always stand by the party.

    Umahi revealed that though the South East is in desperate need to produce a president from the region, he will support whoever is endorsed by President Muhammadu Buhari, in order for the APC to remain a united party.

    He said: “I was very happy when you reminded me few days ago about the palace coup that produced you as Senate President. Our party has come of age, in terms of discipline. This is the only time that I am seeing that aspirants, who are looking for one thing, are not castigating themselves. They are talking well of themselves. It shows, like what you said, that we are from one mother and one father.

    “I have always said it, even while I was in PDP, if you know President Muhammadu Buhari very well, you will know that he is a very good man. He is being hurt by enemies, but he will not cast anyone out.

    ” He is an extraordinary president. That is why I said that even though the South East needs the Presidency so badly, just like North East, whatever decision Mr President takes, I will stand by the decision.

    “Personally, if the decision is not in my favour, I won’t fight the decision. I will continue to support it. I will support whoever that is chosen. Like I always say, power belongs to God. God sees the nitty gritty of the heart of men. He sees who is destined to take the nation to where it is supposed to be.

    “So, I can assure you that if that mantle falls on you, I will feel very lucky because even if it is not me, if you are able to have somebody who shares the same character in a context with you, we will be better for it. So, I stand in partnership with you that if it is you, I will be the first to jump out and congratulate you. If it is me, like you said, it is a partnership that God built before now.

    “We started working together before now. We are building on the past and present relationship. We are not studying ourselves. So, it is the same with the rest of 11 aspirants. Any of them that God chose as the candidate, both of us will work together to support the President and support such a person. You are a man of discipline. You are not just visiting me. You are visiting other aspirants. So, whoever the president chooses is the will of God.”

  • Lawan insists he’s running for president, says news of his withdrawal is fake

    Lawan insists he’s running for president, says news of his withdrawal is fake

    Senate President, Ahmad Lawan has dismissed claims that he has withdrawn to pursue another term in the senate and his ambition is to become the president of Nigeria after President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Lawan said this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja by the spokesperson for Ahmad Lawan Presidential Campaign Organisation, Mr Iyke Ekeoma.

    He encouraged his supporters not to entertain fear, said he was working tirelessly to emerge as the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    The Senate President described as mischief, report that he has withdrawn from the race.

    Lawan said that those who planted the report were jittery of his political popularity, regional acceptance and dominance in political space, hence they cooked the fake report to create confusion.

    “Nigerians should ignore the sponsored lies by some aspirants to distract the Senate President, Dr Ahmad Lawan from his quest to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari in the next presidential election.

    “Contrary to fabrications against the nationally accepted presidential ambition of Lawan, we restate for the pleasure of progressive Nigerians that the falsehood trending currently in social media that Lawan has dropped his ambition to run for another term in Yobe East Senatorial zone is false.

    “It is understandable that Lawan’s entrance into the presidential race to compete against 25 other aspirants has become the major discussion as his entrance has changed the political dynamics of the nation.

    “The withdrawal reports are mere handiwork of politicians who are intimidated by the experience of the Senate President and his massive gains in the last few days,” he said.

    He added: “The ambition to become the president of Nigeria after President Muhammadu Buhari is alive and Nigerians should be rest assured that he is in the race to win and not just to answer aspirant.

    “All supporters of Lawan should not entertain fear as he is working tirelessly to emerge as the candidate of the APC.”

  • My presidential ambition is to change the lives of Nigerians – Lawan

    My presidential ambition is to change the lives of Nigerians – Lawan

    President of the Senate Ahmad Lawan says his 2023 presidential ambition was conceived to enable him change the lives of Nigerians for the better.

    Lawan said this on Friday when he paid a courtesy call on Gov. Ben Ayade of Cross River in Calabar as part of his political tour to meet with delegates of the All Progressive Congress (APC).

    The Senate President said that the welfare and security of Nigerians was top most priority on his agenda to change the fortunes of the country if given the presidential ticket.

    Lawan said that if voted into office as president, he would re-define the economy of the country from the over dependency on oil and place premium on agriculture.

    He said that Nigeria needs a personality that has the capacity, knowledge and experience needed to govern the country.

    He observed that although the governor of Cross River was also running for the presidential race, it was important for them to work as brothers.

    “I am running for the presidency of the country to help me change the lives of the people for good.

    “As politicians, we are brothers and sisters; that the governor of Cross River is also running for the office of the president does not make us enemies.

    “I wish to ask the governor of Cross River to give me the delegates from his state during the primaries,” he said.

    Responding, Ayade said that Lawan has been a great partner in the growth and development of the country.

    He noted that the Senate President has the capacity to handle cases of Boko haram, banditry and the Niger Delta challenges.

    “I am also going to work for you if you get the party’s ticket. You have always stood by us as a state,” he said.

  • Nine APC presidential aspirants set to step down for Ahmad Lawan

    Nine APC presidential aspirants set to step down for Ahmad Lawan

    The Chief Whip of the Senate, Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu says nine presidential aspirants from the All Progressives Congress (APC) are set to step down to support the presidential ambition of the Senate President, Dr Ahmad Lawan.

    Kalu told NAN on Saturday in Abuja that an influential presidential aspirant from the opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is also planing to join the APC.

    Kalu, though did not list their names, was the first to drop his presidential ambition in support of Lawan on the grounds of failure of APC to zone the presidential ticket to the South East.

    He declared his support for Lawan who hails from the North East.

    According to Kalu, “Lawan’s candidature will rock like hurricane.

    “The issue of the APC presidential candidate will be settled even before the primaries.

    “As I am talking to you, about nine presidential aspirants from our party have intimated me of their plans to drop their presidential ambition to support Ahmad Lawan.

    “Does that not signify victory before the election? Lawan’s candidature will rock like hurricane.

    “Lawan is from the North East and has similar sympathy with the South East that is yet to produce president.

    “I have repeated my reasons for dropping my ambition for Lawan severally and I am sure Nigerians are aware already.

    “We are also expecting an influential presidential aspirant from the opposition to join the APC.

    “So, you can see the party is very progressive and properly ready for Lawan’s emergence,“ the former governor of Abia said.

    On the call for postponement of primary elections by some political parties, Kalu said he does not expect the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to listen to them.

    He said the parties were duly informed and should have prepared well as mandated by the electoral body.

    “Extension of the dates will only support irresponsibility. Nigerians find it difficult to keep to time and appointments and that is why they would always seek for extra time.

    “I support INEC to stick to their timetable otherwise we will be living with postponement after postponement. Such a trend is not healthy for a society and its people.

    “We complains of indiscipline but not ready to be practical about the requirements of discipline.

    “INEC should discipline any party that fails to meet up, because that is the only way they can take their jobs seriously,” Kalu said.

  • BREAKING: Senate President, Lawan picks APC presidential form

    BREAKING: Senate President, Lawan picks APC presidential form

    Finally, Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, on Monday joined the growing list of the ruling party’s presidential aspirants as he picks the N100million forms for APC presidential race.

    TheNewsGuru.com, (TNG) reports Lawn became the 24th aspirant to pick the party’s expression of interest and nomination forms for the May 30 primary when a group of his friends led by Chief Sam Nkire, a member of the National Caucus of the party and 15 other Senators, purchased the form for him at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.

    Given that the forms are selling at N100 million, with Lawan as the 24th aspirant, the ruling party has grossed an unprecedented N2.4 billion from the sale of presidential nomination forms alone.

    Details shortly…

  • Court ruling will not stop amendment of Electoral Act – Lawan

    Court ruling will not stop amendment of Electoral Act – Lawan

    Senate President Ahmad Lawan says the ruling given by the Federal High Court in Abuja, will not stop the National Assembly from amending the Electoral Act 22.

    The court in a ruling delivered on Monday by Justice Inyang Ekwo, in an ex-parte application by the People’s Democratic Party(PDP)barred President Muhammadu Buhari, Attorney General of the Federation and the Senate President from amending the newly Electoral Act 2022.

    The Court maintained that the Electoral Act having become a valid law could not be altered without following the due process of law.

    President Buhari, had in a letter dated Feb 28 requested the National Assembly to amend the Electoral Act.

    Buhari had drew the attention of Senate to the provisions of Section 84(12), which, according to him, constitutes a defect, having noted that it was in conflict with extant constitutional provisions.

    Lawan ,while reacting to the ruling by the Federal High Court after the Electoral Act Amendment Bill scaled first reading at plenary, said the ruling violated provisions of the 1999 Constitution )as amended) on Separation of Powers.

    “I find it necessary to talk to this at this point, because our governance system is based on the Presidential system of government where there is clear cut separation and exercise of powers.

    “The Judiciary, under no circumstance cannot stop the National Assembly from performing its legislative duties.

    “We know what our due processes are, just like we wouldn’t venture into what the Judiciary does, it should also understand that we have our processes.

    “If the President writes to the National Assembly to request for an amendment, that is within his competence, and it is for the National Assembly to decide whether it agrees with the request of Mr. President or not.

    “But to say that we cannot consider it, is to ask for what is not there to be given. I believe that Members of this National Assembly know their work and will do what is right.

    “This is due process, we are not doing anything outside of the law, whether it is Mr. President or any Nigerian who feels very strongly about an amendment, this National Assembly is ready to take in and consider.

    “It is within our exclusive right to consider whatever request we receive from Nigerians, whether through the Executive arm of government or through our colleagues via private members’ bill.”

    Sen. Gabriel Suswam,(PDP-Benue)in his contribution said:”I agree with what you have said, the court cannot stop us from making laws.

    ” The problem with the letter sent to us by the President was that there is a part of it that interpreted the law we made.

    “I think that is the only part that the court can act on, because tPresident Buhari said that the law the National Assembly made is ultra vires the Constitution, which is not his responsibility.

    “I think, to that extent, the court can comment on that and not on the fact that we are making laws.”

    Sen. Ike Ekweremadu(PDP-Enugu), while citing Order 52(5) of the Senate Standing Order, called on the Senate to abide by the court ruling.

    He said: ”when we were waiting for the President to assent to the Electoral Act, some of us made a suggestion we believed would help, namely that the President would sign and then we would commit ourselves to amending that section.

    “Mr President, I also offered to help in redrafting it, now we have a situation where they’ve told us there’s a Judicial restriction on us to do that.

    “Mr President, I agree with you entirely, but the principle as all the lawyers here know, is that if there is a court order, no matter how wrong it is, our responsibility as individuals and citizens is to respect it.

    “The argument you have raised is what we are going to raise in response.”

    The Senate President, while giving his ruling to the Order raised by Ekweremadu, said,” this has nothing to do what happens in the court.”

    Ekweremadu, however, advised the National Assembly to discharge the court order via the court.

    “I think the argument you’ve raised is valid, but this point is what we have to present in court to discharge that order.

    “We cannot sit and appeal on a matter that has already been given an order in court. I think we should exercise caution in siting a judgment over a matter that an order has been given.

    “What we should do is to brief our lawyers to go and discharge the order, instead of sitting here and disobeying court order, is is not good for us and our system, that is calling for anarchy.”

    Responding further, Lawan said: ”my opinion about anarchy is when either arm of government decides to go into the exclusive preserve of the other.

    “If the Judiciary wants to come into the Legislature to decide when we sit and when we don’t, then that’s anarchy.

    “If the Judiciary would simply say we are not to consider this and that, and we obey those kind of rulings, that is anarchy, because it is emasculating the legislature and that is not supposed to be .

    “We will continue with what we are supposed to do because that is our calling. We are just advising that the Judiciary should please help us develop this democracy, because this arm of government is the least developed and if we are allow these kind of rulings, we may end up going back 23 years ago.

    “I believe that what we are saying is the same, but we are emphasising that that judicial pronouncement will not stop us from doing what is right and our work here.”

  • APC at all levels deserve the trust of Nigerians- Lawan

    APC at all levels deserve the trust of Nigerians- Lawan

    “This is to tell you that we desire to develop our country and that APC at all levels deserves the trust of Nigerians because we will always tell Nigerians what it is. We won’t hide anything because you gave us your trust.”

    These were the words the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, on Sunday in Lagos at the fifth edition of the empowerment programme of Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola who is representing Lagos West Senatorial District.

    The event, which was held at the premises of the Nigeria Police College, Ikeja, was also witnessed by the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

    PDP may tell you something funny about the administration of APC at the national level but PDP ruled Nigeria for 16 years and all that they did was to leave and bequeath so many challenges to us in 2015

    Urging Nigerians to continue to entrust the affairs of the country to the All Progressives Congress(APC), Lawan stressed that APC is the party to trust.

    In a statement by the Special Adviser on Media, Ola Awoniyi, which was made available to journalists, Lawan described Lagos as a home for APC and expressed the confidence that “APC, by the Grace of God, will continue to rule Lagos and rule Nigeria.”

    “All that we need to do is to continue what we are doing now. Support our leaders. Tolerate us. Unite ourselves and of course, remain focused.

    “PDP may tell you something funny about the administration of APC at the national level but PDP ruled Nigeria for 16 years and all that they did was to leave and bequeath so many challenges to us in 2015.

    “We are dealing with those challenges one after the other and if on the way, we encounter new challenges, we are equal to the task.

    “By the Grace of God, we are going to turn around the fortunes of this country for the better. We have done so much but we are also challenged especially in the area of security.

    “When someone tells you that the APC administration only takes loans or borrows money, PDP had 16 years of so many resources and they did very little infrastructure in the country if any. The money disappeared and our options are limited.

    “But one option that is not on the table at all is not to do anything. Because you don’t have money, so we shouldn’t develop your country? Nigeria’s administration at the national level is responsible and responsive.

    “We wouldn’t like to take loans or borrow money but when the options are limited and the imperative of development of infrastructure in the country is there, what do we do?

    “If we have to borrow, we have to borrow responsibly, targeted at capital development and today I want to say without any fear of contradiction that in every part of this country, there is infrastructural development either in terms of roads, bridges, dams and so on and so forth.

    “What you witness in Lagos is to tell you one of the best the APC can do and we have many APC states that are working so hard to develop those states.

    “I want to assure Nigerians that APC as a political party is the one that you can trust because, for us, the citizens of this country are the most essential elements and people that we must always focus on,” Lawan said.

    The Senate President urged Lagosians to consider Governor Sanwo-Olu for another term based on his commendable performance.

    On the Senate President entourage from Abuja were Senator Mohammed Sani Musa, Senator Micheal Opeyemi Bamidele and Senator Yakubu Oseni.

  • Lawan woos Akwa Ibom gov, Udom Emmanuel to join APC

    Lawan woos Akwa Ibom gov, Udom Emmanuel to join APC

    Senate President, Ahmed Lawan has expressed the desire for Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom to join the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    He said that there is no shame in asking since it is a gesture that would bring development, unity, and progress to the country

    Lawan stated that the governor concerned would be a quality addition to the party.

    The Senate President, on Saturday in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital during Senator Bassey Akpan’s thanksgiving service and inauguration of sports facility, said although Emmanuel belongs to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the APC would not be ashamed to ask him to join it because he is a champion.

    “Even though we are not on the same political platform, we are waiting for you to come and work with us. We want a champion like you, there is no shame in asking. We have seen something that is so good; so brilliant and we say that is an addition,” Lawan said.

    “I will come here again because there are so many good things that will happen that will require our presence as well.”

    He lauded Akpan for working for the development of his people and the country at large.