Buhari Lists 5 Criteria For The New Senate President
President Muhammadu Buhari has announced Senator Ahmed Lawan as the most possible new Senate President. His candidacy was the most preferable because he matched all five criteria required by the President of Nigeria and the APC from a person to fill this vacancy. These criteria listed below.
During the meeting at Aso Rock between the President of Nigeria and the members of the National Working Committee of the APC party Muhammadu Buhari has finally announced Senator Ahmed Lawan, representing Yobe State, as the most possible new Senate President.
His major rival contesting for this post is Bukola Saraki, representing Kwara. However, in Muhammadu Buhari’s opinion, Ahmed Lawan matches best all five criteria demanded by the President of Nigeria and the APC from the candidate for this position.
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First of all the next Senate president shouldn’t be embroiled in any of major corruption scandals, which could cast a shadow on his candidacy in public’s opinion.
The second criterion required from the candidate is that he should be one of the most valuable political figures among senators qualifying for the post.
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Third criterion was voiced by Muhammadu Buhari during the meeting between president and members of the National Working Committee of the ruling All Progressives Congress at Aso Rock. According to the results of the meeting, the person should represent another geo-political zone than the person who used to be the president of Senate.
“The president explained that the North Central part of Nigeria has held the Senate presidency for long enough. He therefore disclosed that the post should be allowed to move to another geo-political zone,” a source, who declined to be identified, informed the press on the results of the meeting.
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Muhammadu Buhari also reportedly stated that the new Senate president should be from the zone which gave the majority of votes to the APC during recent general election. Combining with the third criterion it means that, since the North East zone gave the ruling party the second largest number of votes in recent elections, the person to fill this position should represent exactly this geo-political zone of Nigeria.
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The fifth criterion seems to be that Muhammadu Buhari simply doesn’t favour Bukola Saraki, despite the fact that many influential APC members are backing his candidacy.
“We now know that Muhammadu Buhari doesn’t favour Senator Saraki as the new Senate president,” told the press one of the participants of the meeting who declined to be identified.
The APC’s national chairman, Odigie Oyegun, who is backing Bukola Saraki, expressed his dissatisfaction with Muhammadu Buhari’s choice, while Bola Tinubu, advocating Ahmed Lawan for the post, supported the President of Nigeria.
The President of Nigeria concluded the meeting at Aso Rock, demanding from participants to decide on the new Senate president’s candidacy no later than tomorrow.
Bukola Saraki's ambition to emerge as the successor to the incumbent Senate president, David Mark, received a major boost two weeks ago.
However, Saraki's ambition to become the next Senate president of the eight National Assembly has suffered set back after Senators from the Northwest zone denied endorsing him yesterday.
Source: Legit.ng
